Unexpected but Overdue
by Sereneffect
Summary: Shepard did not like the Council, and neither did Garrus. But as a Spectre, it is her duty to protect them, regardless of whether or not she wanted to punch them. So it comes as a surprise when the turian councilor-her biggest critic-begins acting... strange. SparatusxFemShepxGarrus, Rated for language and adult themes.
1. Personal Debt

**Another new idea! I really should stick to one at a time, but I couldn't resist. =3 So, here's Shakarian fun with a little bit of Sparatus. Yummy...**

**Greenyoda987 is awesome for helping me as usual. Like for reals, you are da best.**

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"Well Commander Shepard, it seems that I now owe you for saving my life twice." She could see the trace of a smile around the turian councilor's mandibles and gave a small one in return.

"I'm just doing my job, sir," she replied evenly. Really, she would have been well within reason to have left the Council on their own. She could see the asari councilor glancing furtively back at Udina's body, obviously shaken—really, she'd just had a gun pointed at her so it wasn't hard to believe—and Shepard turned her attention back to Sparatus. His eyes caught hers and she could see a shred of wonder there; he seemed to have had the same thought she had. "I swore to protect the Council, the Citadel, and the galaxy. I'm not about to go back on that because we didn't see eye to eye." She settled into her hip and folded her arms loosely over her stomach. She could feel splatters of blood—not hers, thank god; she only had to deal with the throbbing pain that pulsed from her hip—drying on her skin and settling into the joints of her armor; it was beginning to disgust her.

"Regardless, I owe you a debt I can only hope to have the chance to repay." For the first time, there was no condescension, no thinly-veiled frustration in his voice and it momentarily stunned Shepard as he laid a hand on her arm. The touch lingered longer than was probably necessary, but before she could say anything, the councilor had already moved back to the elevator to stand beside Commander Bailey. Tevos touched her shoulder as she passed and Shepard nodded absently, turning back toward her squad. Kaidan looked thoroughly ashamed, not looking at any of them as he headed for the elevator himself; Shepard brushed past him without a word. She would deal with him later—really, there was a lot of dealing she was going to have to do—and it would be a miracle if it didn't end in violence. But right now, she wanted nothing more than to crawl into her shower and stay there for a year. She glanced up at Liara, who smiled tiredly at her; she could see her stance relax slightly and Shepard gripped the asari around her shoulders, finally relaxing herself. It had been hard, but they'd won.

"We did it."

Liara laughed and returned Shepard's embrace around her waist. "You. You did it, Shepard." When she was released, the asari straightened and cradled her human commander's cheek. It was so easy to forget that Liara was over a hundred years old, Shepard realized. She seemed so young, in relation to other asari, but she was so much older than any "wise" human. _Hard to see her as a little sister when she could be my grandmother_.

"No, we did. All of us," she replied, grabbing Garrus by the back of his cowl and pulling him into an embrace between herself and Liara. The turian let out a surprised warble as he was bodily swung and sandwiched between the two women as they laughed. His attention was focused internally—on his thoughts—and he hadn't heard the two women until they had molded themselves to fit against his sides. He chuckled uncertainly as both sagged against him and slid down to the floor.

"Shepard?"

She looked up at her turian lover and he could see the tears brimming in her eyes until they spilled over, leaving clean trails down her cheeks as she set her face in her hands. Her laughter fell into sobs and he knelt beside her, giving her shoulders a squeeze. Liara sat bonelessly beside them, eyes blankly focused on the ground as she rubbed shaky circles down the commander's back; though Shepard couldn't feel it, it helped her feel a bit less useless. Sorrow had etched lines on Liara's face and Garrus mandibles were pulled tight to his face, anguish showing in the clench of his jaw; Liara couldn't tell if it was from the events of today or because Shepard was crying. She leaned toward the latter.

"Fucking assholes killed him," Shepard finally gasped, dashing tears away with the back of her gauntleted hand. "Fucking Cerberus. I knew the Illusive Man was low, I knew they were all fucking bastards but…" Her voice broke and Garrus could hear her grind her teeth together. "That bastard killed Thane. I swear to Christ, the next time I see him, I'll break every bone in his body…" The threat was a barely audible growl, but it sent a chill down his spine.

"Come on, Shepard," he said quietly, lifting both Shepard and Liara to their feet. "It's been a long day." She visibly sagged against him as they limped back toward the Normandy's airlock. Shepard grimaced with each step, favoring her right hip and supporting her weight on Garrus's arm. "Now, remind me again why I'm not supposed to worry about you biotic charging a Phantom?" he grumbled in her ear, savoring the light inhale of breath as the vibrations from his chest hummed through her body.

"I could handle it," she replied, half-heartedly trying to hide the flush in her cheeks. Oh, she loved his voice; the wonderful things it did to her insides… He knew exactly what he was doing to her, taking advantage of the brief moment of peace to lapse into the tone he usually reserved for their bedroom. And it was a welcome distraction from the despair threatening to drive her back to her knees. "Besides, it all worked out, didn't it? I took care of it."

"You tried to jump over it and detonated your Nova before you landed. Do you know how terrifying it is to see you get nearly gutted by one of those things, and then see nothing but dust and rubble?"

She winced. "Ok, so not according to plan, but it all ended up alright." He growled beside her and pressed her back against the wall of the airlock. Liara raised an eyebrow, but excused herself when the doors slid open, leaving the two of them alone once the doors closed and the decontamination protocols start up again. It was brief, but it was time that they would be alone.

"Never again," he growled, eyes flashing a warning. His arms tightened around her and he nuzzled his face against her neck. A low growl rumbled in his chest and made her hum approvingly, a growl laced with worry and sadness and fear. "We lost Thane, we can't lose you too. Not when you're the only thing that gives us a chance against the Reapers." Her scent assaulted him as her hair brushed his face and he let out a long breath, lightly tasting the flesh of her throat. Even covered in grit and gore, she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen; her skin was flushed with the thrill of battle, adrenaline adding a fire to her eyes as she looked up at him.

"You won't lose me."

"Not if I can help it," he replied, tangling his talons in her hair and nipping down her neck. "Even if the damn councilor is hitting on you," he growled, mostly to himself. But he felt Shepard start, surprise making her push back from him.

"Excuse me?" She wasn't upset, he could see, but the emotion on her face was new to him. Was Shepard… speechless?

He raised a browplate at her. "Sparatus. He was pretty obvious about it, too."

"When?" Her voice rose in pitch and she mentally played back every conversations he'd ever had with the turian councilor. The common denominators seemed to be sarcasm, barely controlled anger, and disagreement; when had he flirted with her?

"Just now?" Garrus held her at arms' length and tilted his head slightly. "He all but implied that you should find him later so you can spend time 'alone'." She only stared up at him blankly and he ran a hand down his face in irritation. "Right, you don't understand our subharmonics. Damn, ok this is awkward."

Shepard reached passed Garrus while he fumbled for words, and pressed the panel on the wall, opening the door to the airlock once again. She tugged him out with what little energy she had left, heading toward the elevator and eventually the med bay. Sure, a Citadel hospital would have been easier, but she wasn't about to go to an unfamiliar hospital. Not after the last one ended up being a Cerberus station and she'd been dead.

"Explain," she huffed as the elevator descended, shifting her injured leg carefully. Damn that stupid Phantom… Garrus shifted awkwardly, and then paced across the small space.

"It's… complicated. Ok, well not really but… Damn. Listen, Shepard—"

"Garrus." She towed him onto the Crew Deck and grimaced. "Less babbling, more telling me why you seem convinced that the turian councilor who, by the way, makes a habit of making my life difficult wants to spend some 'alone time' with me," she grumbled, finally falling onto one of the beds in the med bay.

"Shepard, what in the blazes—"

"I'm fine, Doc, I promise," Shepard cut in, grinning impishly at Dr. Chakwas's motherly scolding, "I just had to remind the Illusive Man that I'm too bad ass for his bull shit." Garrus scoffed and she fixed him with an amused look. "Don't think I've forgotten. I'm waiting, Garrus."

"Right now?" he pressed, glancing at the doctor. "No offense, Doctor, but really Shepard? I'll tell you later."

"Promise?" she sing-songed, swinging her legs and he rolled his eyes. Her eyes narrowed with held in laughter; he had picked up a few human mannerisms from her and it always made her smile.

"Yes, yes, I promise," he sighed, shaking his head as Dr. Chakwas dropped the plates of her armor on the floor and set about removing the younger woman's under-suit.

"What did you do this time, Shepard?" the doctor sighed, feigning exasperation as she gently prodded the purpling tissue of the commander's hip. Shepard sucked in a breath through her teeth and flinched away before settling back on her elbows.

"Tried to bear-hug a Phantom," she admitted casually, eyes closing as Dr. Chakwas carefully felt along the edges of the spreading bruise. Her jaw was tense but she didn't move away again.

"Why?" the older woman asked incredulously as she straightened and began rummaging through some drawers.

"I thought it would be fun," she replied and Garrus snorted, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his carapace. She glared at him from under her lashes and he felt his blood rush south of its own accord.

"Shepard, we should put you in a padded room," he intoned dryly, trying to cover the warm purr of his subharmonics as she reclined back. The doctor let out a short laugh, laying gauze and medi-gel on the counters. The commander's brow furrowed slightly and she sat up suddenly.

"I smell a mutiny," she half-cried and fell back again. "God, when did life get so complicated?" she mumbled, laying her arms over her face. Dr. Chakwas moved back to the bed and spread the cool gel along the darkened skin.

"When you showed the Reapers what it felt like to be afraid," Dr. Chakwas replied quietly, carefully wrapping the joint and affected tissue snugly. Garrus looked away out of habit as Shepard propped her leg up, exposing her nearly-bare body as the gauze circled her thigh and midsection. "Alright, it looks like you've bruised your pelvis and the tissue around your hip. I'm ordering bed rest and no combat for at least 36 hours." She cut her eyes over to Garrus and he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "And I mean bed _rest_, not just _bed,_ you two."

"Aw, Doc. That's no fun," Shepard pouted as she stumbled to her feet. Her face momentarily contorted before she schooled her expression. "Fuck, why does it hurt _more_ in this damn bandage?"

"Pressure," the doctor replied, handing her a small bottle and two pills that Shepard promptly swallowed. "Painkillers, use them if you need them. Your cybernetics should patch this up, but you are not to risk any more damage, am I clear?"

The pain faded from the lines in Shepard's face and she gave her shoulders a light roll. _The wonders of modern medicine._ She snapped a salute and bowed with a flourish. "Yes, ma'am. I swear on my honor," she replied theatrically, slinging an arm over Garrus's shoulder. "Onward, my champion!"

He gazed at her sideways and grinned back. "Some painkillers, I see."

"Hey, I don't… did… didn't… She gave them to me."

He chucked to himself as Shepard started to sway a bit. Hefting her up and settling one arm under her knees and bundling her against his chest, he glanced back toward the doctor, intending to say goodnight. But Dr. Chakwas's self-satisfied smile gave him pause, his curiosity piquing. "Alright, those weren't just pain pills," he accused as Shepard stirred against him.

"She hasn't been sleeping, so I added a sleep aid. Oh don't look at me like that, Garrus. It won't hurt her."

"If you say so…"

"I do, and since I'm the doctor, that will be good enough for you. Now put her to bed."

Garrus nodded and headed back to the elevator. He could definitely see what Shepard meant when she teasingly called the good doctor "Mom". The human physician would have made a formidable, but equally loving parent; and a crew of soldiers bent on saving the galaxy by any means necessary gave her plenty of opportunity to be just that. Shepard grumbled something against his chest and he looked down at her with a light smile. She finally looked relaxed—after the geth, and then the Collectors, and now the Reapers and Cerberus, tension had settled over her shoulders like a mantle of office—and Garrus couldn't remember the last time she looked so peaceful. He moved carefully through her cabin, dodging around disassembled bits of gun and carelessly-tossed aside datapads on the way to her bed. He set her down on the sheets and carefully set about stripping her of the remains of her under-suit, trying not to wake her. Just as he'd tossed the garment aside, she curled onto her uninjured side, hand searching for him absently. He chuckled and quickly undressed, sliding in beside her and letting her arms curl around his waist.

"At least he has a nice voice…"

The tired mumble would have evaded a human's hearing but Garrus's eyes went wide as he looked down at the woman groggily draped across his middle. "Come again, Shepard?" he asked carefully, trying to figure out what she was going on about now. Really, Shepard was practically incoherent immediately before and after sleep, so he wasn't sure if she was even aware. His mandibles twitched absently into a grin.

"Th' Counc'lor," she purred, snuggling her face against his carapace and sighing contentedly. Her eyes had remained closed until now and she looked up at him through her tired haze. His heart flipped and he lovingly stroked her hair. "He's got a nice voice too."

"Should I be worried?" he chuckled, scratching lightly at her scalp. The sound she made should have been illegal for the things it did to his insides, and he tried to breathe evenly. There was a growing heat in his core and it was taking an enormous effort not to act on the lascivious thoughts now swirling around his brain.

"No… Your voice is the sexiest." She leaned into his touch and he nuzzled her forehead lightly. She still smelled of blood and sweat and gunfire, but she was too tired—and drugged—to manage a shower and he didn't have the heart to drag her back out of bed. He'd make it up to her in the morning; he'd also have to remember to change the sheets.

"Damn right. Now get some sleep, Shepard."

"Story in the morning," she reminded him as sleep slowly weighed her down.

"Yes, Ma'am."

She smiled through her slumber and her breathing deepened as she drifted, leaving him to think. Unfortunately, thinking usually meant revisiting the failures of the past—Omega, Palaven, Earth, and now the Citadel—but now he had a new topic to mull over: the turian fucking councilor had propositioned Shepard. Well, not outright… With his subharmonics. Still, it had been especially obvious coming from a politician. The biggest politician, actually… Spirits, what the hell was going on? Shepard would never have known if he hadn't been there… He rubbed his eyes tiredly with the hand not wrapped possessively around Shepard. This was… complicated. With lots of implications. Garrus tucked his head against the mountain of pillows Shepard always managed to acquire and tried to empty his brain, but with little success.

_What point would there be in using subharmonic cues if Shepard can't understand it?_

It wasn't as if their relationship had been a well-kept secret, anyway. They weren't broadcasting it, but they hadn't been keeping it a secret either. He was torn between being offended at the disregard for their relationship and flattered that someone so highly ranked would show an interest in his mate. Really, he should have thrown the councilor down and reminded him just who Shepard was bonded to, but it had been so surprising… And the councilor would have known that! So why was he flirting with Shepard in a way that she wouldn't understand, but Garrus could? It didn't make any sense; nothing would come of it, unless…

Oh, Spirits.

The councilor had been addressing them both.


	2. Bridges

**Unintentionally blowing off my other fics for this one... I promise I'll update the others soon. Just... not now. After exams, I promise.**

**Thank you Greenyoda987 for helping me get my shit together when I over-think everything. And, of course, for reminding me how much I love smug turians. Yum.**

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Garrus stared at the ceiling of Shepard's room, turning the thought over and over in his mind. There was no other possibility, none that he could see. Their relationship was pretty widely known, so the councilor couldn't be ignorant of that fact. And Shepard couldn't understand subharmonics, and the councilor would know that too. So, Garrus would have heard the flirtation, not Shepard, though it had been directed at Shepard. It was a clever way to get both of their attention, Garrus would admit, but it was also incredibly complicated. _Politicians' brains are like mazes… Shepard was right._

He looked down at her as she slept and sighed. Oh, she wouldn't like this. Well, she'd laugh at first, but then she wouldn't be happy. Not after the air quotes incident… He laughed quietly to himself and she made a pleased sound in her sleep, burrowing against the sensitive flesh of his waist and making him stifle a groan. Even in her sleep…

He shook his head and looked back up at the ceiling. What was the councilor thinking? He seemed to have chosen the most complicated way to communicate interest in the two of them—damn politicians—but did that mean he was serious? Surely he knew the political implications… Hell, Garrus was still worried about the political implications of being with Shepard and he wasn't a high-ranking official. Well, he was a high-ranking official now, but not _that_ high. Shepard was worth it because she was his better half, but the councilor… Turian-human relations were still rocky at best, even with the Reaper-driven alliance they had now. He and Shepard already got threatening messages, weird looks when they were out, and insults hurled at them when they turned their backs; they didn't care, neither one of them wanted anything else. But did the councilor realize that even communicating _any_ interest in Shepard alone—not the mention the shitstorm that would blow up with anyone found out his interest was in the two of them—could backfire on his reputation?

_No one would believe it. Hell, I barely believe it._ The thought that Sparatus—the same Sparatus who blocked Shepard at every turn against Saren, denied all of her claims about the Reapers, and showed nothing but doubt and disdain for the work they had done—was…attracted to her? He mulled that over in his head for a bit, ultimately concluding that, yes, attracted was probably the right word. He wouldn't have… propositioned her—at least in the way he had—if he wasn't…interested. Sparatus was attracted to her—well, them. Interesting.

Garrus closed his eyes. This didn't make any sense. At all.

* * *

Shepard rolled onto her back and blinked her eyes open, coming face to face with her turian lover as he leaned over her. She smiled sleepily and wrapped her arms loosely around his neck, pressing her forehead to his. Something on her cheek itched and she scowled, memory slowly coming back to her.

"We didn't shower before getting in here, did we?" she grumbled, suddenly very aware of the flakes of dried blood on her skin. Garrus laughed quietly, sending vibrations through her body where they were pressed together, and she sighed happily.

"Nope. And as much I love you, you smell like a war zone."

"Haha, very funny," she sulked, slipping out from under him and standing on the opposite side of the bed, arms stretching above her head. Her camisole slipped up, exposing the top of the bandage around her hip. Even covered up and injured, she was beautiful. "You think this thing is meant for the shower?"

"No?"

She shrugged and padded toward her bathroom anyway. "Well, I'm gross, so I guess we'll find out. And if it's not… I'm sure you can think of a way to help me," she said, looking back and tossing him a lopsided grin which he returned with a low rumbling growl. The water sprayed down in a cloud of steam and she felt Garrus's arms wrap around her middle protectively. She leaned back against his reassuring warmth and let him drag her shirt over her head with no protest, savoring the feel of his hands on her body. With a smile, he carefully cut away the wrapping around her leg and slid her panties down her legs, nuzzling against the back of her neck. The copper strands of hair filled his nose with her scent and she hummed appreciatively. "Cheater."

"Nonsense," he rumbled, nipping at her neck lightly and she gasped. Now that her flesh was fully bared, he let his hands wander, tracing up her ribs to her waist and lingering there. A low mewl slipped from her and he chuckled, running his tongue over the crescent-shaped scar on the top of her shoulder as his hands finally reached her breasts. She arched against him, pushing her breasts further into his hands, and he pressed his hips forward into the soft swell of her ass. His plates had parted and she could feel his erection pressed against her backside, a quiet "oh" escaping her. "If you didn't like it," he purred in her ear, "then you would stop me." She shivered and stepped forward, dragging them both into the steaming spray. A grateful sigh pulled from her throat and Garrus ground against her, relishing the sounds she made. She gave no resistance, letting him explore and touch her with gentle hands, and settled her weight on her uninjured leg as he trailed one talon down the center of her torso. "Shepard…"

She turned her head slightly to look at him and he ducked his mouth down to the juncture of her shoulder and neck. Her eyes were wide, pupils devouring most of the color, and her lips were parted slightly, her breath ghosting over his plates. He could almost taste her arousal as his hand finally made it down to her core, circling his knuckle over her clit in just the right way to make her cry out and writhe against his grip, and he set his teeth against her skin. He felt rather than heard her sharp intake of breath as his teeth broke the skin and his finger slipped inside her. He swallowed his own groan of approval, rocking his hips forward instinctively as he felt the tight, wet heat of her body clench around him. A growl took up in his chest and he released her shoulder, pumping the digit within her until she threw her head back and moaned loudly.

"Fuck, Garrus…" she panted in his ear, reaching up to caress the back of his fringe and he snarled, trying to hold himself back. "Please, fucking god. Please, Garrus, I fucking need you." She made a sound somewhere between a yelp and a moan and he eased his finger out of her, tracing over her clit and up her stomach before spinning her around. He pressed her back into the wall and ground his hips into her, hooking her unbruised leg up over his hip, making sure to support her with his own weight so she didn't further injure herself.

"Do you know how fucking sexy you are?" he growled in her ear, teasing her entrance, and she whimpered. She hissed in a breath when she strained her hip trying to spur him on and he trapped her against the wall, preventing any more movement. "Do you know how hard it is to let you just stroll around this ship without touching you?" He sighed against her neck and she tried to roll her hips against him, but he held her fast. "You practically beg people to touch you with the way you sway when you walk. Very hard to concentrate." He pressed into her slowly and she gasped. "Although now that I think about it, I don't blame him…"

"Wha—"

A sharp thrust cut her off and all words flew from her mind, replaced by moans and wordless exclamations. He nipped at her throat as he sped up his measured pace, slowly losing himself in the blissful ecstasy he always found within his mate. "Spirits, Shepard," he growled.

Curses and pleas fell from her lips in a flood and he could feel her body begin to shake, muscles quivering and a flush rising on her skin. She cried out, then buried her face in his cowl to muffle the sound as her orgasm hit her, her body tightening around him. He felt the air rush out of his lungs and followed after her with a low, rumbling growl that shook them both and they both sagged against the tiled wall, sliding down to the floor in a haphazard tangle of limbs. Shepard flexed her bruised hip and sighed against him as a pleasant tingle washed over her muscles, stroking his unscarred mandible tenderly. He purred against her, nuzzling the top of her head as his heart began to steadily return to its normal pace.

"Don't blame him, huh?" Shepard finally panted, mischief sparkling in her eye. Garrus lazily looked down at her and shook his head.

"Didn't miss that, did you?" he mumbled, carefully getting to his feet and lifting her as well. She grinned and squeezed a generous amount of shampoo into her hands, lathering it into her hair and sighing contentedly.

"Nope. Now that I've been awakened in the way I am accustomed, my mind is sharp," she replied as-a-matter-of-fact-ly and he rolled his eyes. She swatted his arm lightly as she let the water wash the suds down her body. "So spill." He rumbled something that her translator missed and pressed against her back, massaging her scalp carefully and she practically melted against him. There were a few moments of relative silence before Shepard turned in his arms and moved out of reach. "Don't change the subject." Garrus made a show of looking innocent and she laughed, grabbing her bar of soap as he scratched absently at the scarring on his neck. She could see him trying to find the right words and waited.

"Alright. You know how I said we use subharmonics to communicate certain things without words?" At Shepard's nod, he continued, "Well, interest in potential partners is one of those things that has a subvocal cue. Damn, this sounds so clinical…" She snorted and he huffed out a sigh. "Look, the point is, what Sparatus was saying—not actually saying, but you know—was very clearly a message of intent."

"You do know that sounds ridiculous, right? This is Sparatus, the same guy who didn't want a human Spectre, defended Saren, and had the goddamn nerve to air quote at me." She straightened and schooled her face into a disappointed scowl. "Ah yes, _Reapers_," she mimicked and Garrus couldn't help but grin, "We have dismissed that claim." She shook her head and stepped under the shower spray. "Seriously, Garrus. I'm sure it's not what you're thinking."

"That's not something you can misinterpret… Kind of like the way you came on to me when we were still with Cerberus."

Shepard guffawed and flicked the water from her fingers into his face. "First of all, we were not _with_ them. And second of all, I was not that obvious, Mr. Reach-and-Flexibility." His mandibles twitched with slight embarrassment and she grinned. "Oh don't worry, I will _never_ forget that."

"Damn." His mock horror made Shepard roll her eyes as she palmed the shower control and stepped out. He had her towel in hand before she had even reached for it, wrapping it around her from behind and gently drying her. "The point is, turian relationships aren't as… subtle as human ones. If someone is attracted to someone else, they say so. If the approached isn't interested, they say so. Everyone goes home knowing exactly where they stand. Unlike when trying to figure out how to approach a human commander's proposition." She opened her mouth to protest and he nipped her neck, effectively silencing her as he moved to lick the still-red skin of her bondmark. "So it's exactly what I'm thinking."

"Okay, so then why the subharmonics? Obviously, I didn't know until after your impromptu lesson on turian social norms—which was not covered in Mordin's educational materials, by the way."

"He gave you _educational materials_?"

"Exactly what it sounds like, but that's beside the point."

Garrus blinked then gave a slight shake of his head. One thing at a time. "Honestly, I don't know. I've been thinking about it, but it's very… convoluted."

"He's a politician."

"I know that. And yes, I know what you're going to say, minds like a maze and all that. He would have known that you wouldn't understand, and that our relationship isn't a secret."

"It's not? Damn! I thought I was doing so well."

Garrus rolled his eyes and turned her around to finish drying her, earning a comically theatrical kiss on his cheek. "Shepard, you couldn't be subtle if you tried. What with all the biotics, shotguns, and your smart mouth…" He dodged her indignant smack and wrapped the towel around her shoulders again, rubbing her arms through the material. "Anyway, he would have known that I would hear even though he was addressing you. It's a bit contrived but—"

"Wait wait wait… You're telling me that the turian councilor—whom we do not take pleasure in associating with—is interested in us—you and me, plural—as sexual partners."

"To put it bluntly, yes." He replied, grateful that she forestalled his clumsy theorizing. _Thank the Spirits she's quick._

"You have got to be fucking kidding me."

Garrus shrugged and held her still when she went to move past him, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Don't do anything hasty. He is still technically your boss and, by association, mine." Shepard grumbled a few choice curses and where Sparatus could shove it, but stayed put. "And besides, anyone would be crazy for _not_ wanting to fuck us." She smothered a laugh and a smile broke on her face as he rubbed circles on her back.

"Regardless, it's still Sparatus, Garrus," she mumbled, enjoying the way the warmth of his hands seeped through the towel, "Last time I checked, I wasn't begging to fuck him." Garrus started at her blunt tone and she chuckled. "Why, were you hoping I would?"

"I never said that."

"You didn't deny it either."

He sighed and began drying her hair, earning a hum of appreciation. "You have to admit, Shepard, it's a bit flattering. He is _the_ voice for my people in galactic government; as far as the Hierarchy goes, he's about as high as you can get."

"What about you? You've got to be getting up there now, what with all the Generals that have been saluting you, and setting up the refugee camp, and being friends with Victus…" she purred, peeking out from under the towel and he looked away. Was he embarrassed?

"Let's not go there, shall we?" When she opened her mouth to protest, he tossed the towel aside and gathered her to his chest, nuzzling her temple. "What I'm trying to get at is that maybe you should give him a chance. He might not be as bad as he seems."

"Is, as bad as he is," Shepard corrected and he gave a low growl, nipping her earlobe. She squeaked, properly chastised, and he moved away from her.

"Regardless, you don't have to act on any of this. If you're so set against him, I can tell him to back off." He shrugged and Shepard looked at him curiously.

"You're not angry about this?"

"Shepard, like I said, it's a compliment. The highest-ranked official in and above my people's government is interested in not only my mate, but the two of us. I know you humans are more the jealous type, but for turians, this is the same as the way James flirts with you. It's harmless, and he's just telling you you're pretty. Sparatus wouldn't dare go near you without your consent and since we're bonded it would be outright dangerous for him to even try without asking me."

"Asking you?" Shepard raised an eyebrow and he ran a hand down his face. She delighted in catching him off-guard and he always found himself wondering why he gave her the opportunities.

"Not like that. You know what I mean. It's a lot more casual than it seems. Just don't burn any bridges just yet."

"Believe me, that bridge must be fireproof," she replied lightly, strolling back into her cabin to find her clothes, "Every time fire even gets close to it, I end up saving his damn ass."

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	3. Eavesdropping

**Yay Updates! 8D Lots of smut and nonsense ahead, so tallyho!**

**Greenyoda987 is awesome for giving me LOTS of inspiration for this chapter.**

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Shepard shifted her weight between her feet, hands clasped behind her back, as the Council continued to talk amongst themselves about the next plan of action. Really, she wasn't sure why she needed to be present if they were merely going to talk _at_ her, but it gave her a chance to steal some glances at Sparatus. If Garrus was right—which she wasn't entirely convinced that he was—then there had to be a way to see it; even politicians gave themselves away some times. So, there she was, trying to catch the turian councilor… Actually, she wasn't even sure what she was looking for. If he was giving himself away with subharmonics, then she wouldn't be able to tell.

"Shepard, this is a bad idea," Garrus hissed in her ear over her comm. And there was the second part of her plan. Her partner was clearly less-than-thrilled with the idea, but she didn't see any other options. As casually and subtly as she could, she carefully reached out and tapped the mute button on the vid call.

"Come on, Garrus. I can't tell if he's doing that subharmonic thing, so you need to listen in. Besides, it's not like I don't tell you everything we talk about anyway," she replied, still pretending to be listening to the Council. They had moved on to discussing the turian evacuation and she switched the audio pick up back on. She saw Sparatus's gaze flicker to her, then back to the asari councilor as they debated the effectiveness of sending ground transports to gather refugees. Shepard blinked at him innocently and made a show of chewing her lip, seemingly deep in thought.

Garrus scoffed. "Isn't this a little childish? We're adults, can't we just talk to him about—" He stopped and she wondered if he had found something more interesting in the main battery. "No, tell them that won't work. We'll lose more people that way. Pick-ups need to be made by small, light shuttle-craft to avoid detection. Time consuming, but they'll at least be able to escape if things get hot."

Ah, so he _was_ listening. Her lip twitched into the shadow of a grin and she cleared her throat, making the Council's attention turn to her. "I'd advise against ground transports, councilors," she said evenly. For a moment, the three of them appeared intrigued, but it was fleeting—politicians don't look intrigued—and soon the Council all wore impassive masks again.

"And why is that?" Valern asked tightly, obviously doubtful of her ability to make judgments on the matter. She chose to ignore his tone and lifted her chin confidently, rolling her shoulders back to stand a little taller. _That_ got the turian councilor's attention; his mandibles twitched the same way Garrus's did whenever he thought she was up to something, something he wanted to see to its conclusion. It was a point of pride that she'd learned to read Garrus so well, and she was relieved that the knowledge could generalize to the councilor as well.

"Shepard, don't—" Garrus started, but she ignored him, instead addressing the Council.

"Ground transports will gain Reaper attention and will be more vulnerable to attack. Send in smaller craft like shuttles to do pick-ups; they'll be able to evade attack and break atmo to rendezvous with waiting frigates. The ships will be safe and the civilians will be safer as well." She could see the surprise on the faces of the racial leaders and smiled politely. "Unless there is a better option that I've missed."

"The resources required to—"

"No, Valern, she's right," Sparatus interrupted, not taking his eyes from her. She met his gaze levelly, trying to ignore the low hum Garrus was making in her ear. "It's the best way we can evacuate my people without putting them at risk. I will make the necessary arrangements."

There was a pause before the asari councilor spoke, turning her attention to the human Spectre. "Very well then. Commander, thank you for your insight in this matter. We wish you luck on your endeavors and await your next update on the Crucible."

Garrus listened intently, talons clenching and unclenching around the edge of his console in the battery. He hadn't expected to participate in the meeting—he didn't know what had come over him—but he'd spoken before he'd thought about it and Shepard had listened. Shepard had listened and probably saved a lot of his people. And damn if it didn't make him want to march through the War Room, bend her over the vidcomm controls, and fuck her. A lust-driven hum escaped him and he forced his eyes shut. _Focus, you're supposed to be figuring things out with the councilor, not plotting how to make your mate scream._ He strained to hear anything in the silence over the comm and blinked his eyes open in mild surprise. The vibrations resonating from the turian councilor were too low for Shepard to hear, but there was no way Garrus could miss them, and the message was clear enough: You've earned my respect and admiration, and it has made me want you even more. Sparatus wasn't making much of an effort to hide his subharmonics in Shepard's presence; then again… he didn't make much of an effort to hide them when both he and Shepard had been present. Shepard couldn't understand the underlying meanings, but he was sure she could hear the purrs and rumbles… He knew what effect _his_ voice had on her, and if Sparatus's voice had even a slightly similar effect... she would definitely notice. He shook his head; she was talking to the turian councilor and didn't need to be distracted—by the councilor, or worse, by her mate. Should he have tried harder to keep his own subharmonics in line? If his hunch was right and she was… reacting to his own voice as well as the councilor's… Or… maybe that was the perfect thing to do. Maybe Shepard needed some… incentive to… accept his offer… She'd already said that she liked the councilor's voice.

"Commander, if I may take up a moment more of your time," Sparatus said quickly, nodding to his cohorts.

Oh? Shepard raised a brow, but nodded. "Of course. If you'll excuse us, Councilors?" The asari and salarian councilors nodded their farewells and their projections went dark, leaving her to address the turian councilor alone. Well, mostly alone. A low hum sounded in her ear and she was suddenly very aware of Garrus's virtual presence and shuffled her stance, settling comfortably into her hip and crossing her arms loosely over her stomach.

"Well Shepard, now you've got both of our attentions," Garrus purred, giving up any attempt to resist the tide of desire that had rushed over him, "and he's going to want you even more. You've probably saved millions of turian lives by telling them that. And I'm thinking of all the ways to show you just how grateful the turian people are…" Hearing just how attractive she was to Sparatus had lit a fire in his core, and he couldn't help but tell her so. _Besides, there wouldn't be anything wrong with getting her a little hot and bothered for the councilor…_He considered this briefly; it couldn't hurt anything and it was unlikely Sparatus would even be able to tell anything was… bothering her. And if he did… Well, he had already expressed an interest in her. A mischievous grin pulled at his mandibles and he let his voice drop a register. "Or maybe Sparatus would like to." A shudder ran down her spine as his voice dropped and she tried to focus on the turian councilor's image in front of her, but he was only staring at her, watching her. "I know you love it when I take my time. Maybe I'll go extra slow the next time I have you in bed, explore every inch of you with my tongue; I know you love that."

Shepard felt her face flush and coughed into her hand in an attempt to hide it. "You… wanted to speak with me, Councilor?" she finally managed, voice cracking slightly. Damn it, her plan was starting to backfire. Garrus was just supposed to be listening, not… not saying all those deliciously naughty things in her ear. She could hear Garrus making that rumbling noise he only ever made when he really wanted to strip her down and take her hard against the wall and it sent a shot of heat straight to her core.

"Yes, I wanted to be sure that Officer Vakarian received our regards for his helpful suggestion," the turian councilor replied, a low rumble shadowing his voice.

_Oh shit._ He knew. And yet, he didn't seem upset. The opposite, even. _How did he know?!_ But her eyes widened slightly at the very intimate—very _sexy _—sound he made and she licked her suddenly dry lips. The motion seemed to catch Sparatus's attention and his eyes narrowed slightly, a low hum escaping him; his gaze seemed to drop to her mouth before rising to her eyes once again.

"He wants you almost as much as I do, now," Garrus mused and she closed her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath through her nose to keep her heart from speeding up. "Just think, Shepard. Two turians that want to be inside of you." Her breathing hitched and she looked back up to the councilor. His gaze was dark and he leaned forward just enough that she could tell he was watching her intently; she wondered if he would be as attentive in bed. "He probably has no idea just how soft you are, everywhere."

She shifted, squeezing her legs together in what she hoped was an unsuspicious way, but Sparatus didn't miss it.

"Something… bothering you, Commander?"

_Damn him. Damn Garrus._ "No, no. Of course not. Um…" She wracked her brain to remember what he had said before Garrus had started teasing her again, but all she could think about was having both of them touching her. _Garrus is going to pay for this._ "I'm surprised you knew that Officer Vakarian was observing." Her tone was measured, the calmness in it forced, but she schooled her expression into a mask of professionalism.

"I didn't, actually. Until you started blushing—an endearing human trait, really—and it became obvious your attention was… elsewhere." He seemed unsure of what to do with his hands, settling for knotting them behind his back as he continued to watch her. "And I am sure he can hear us?"

"Yessir," she replied curtly, mimicking his posture. It was a soldier's stance, a sign of respect, but also how she felt most comfortable. Briefly, she wondered how long Sparatus had served—no turian didn't—before turning to politics, but a dark laugh, like velvet, drew her out of her thoughts. The councilor was chuckling quietly, regarding her with a pleased expression. Why did he look smug?

"Always a soldier. Always doing your duty, Shepard. I can see why Garrus is so taken with you."

They were "Shepard" and "Garrus", now? Her mind was spinning and her practiced confidence must have wavered because his mandibles made the familiar twitch into a grin. He was enjoying this. And, if the sounds her gunnery officer was making were any inclination, so was Garrus.

"He's right. In a turian, those are valued traits, but in a human…" She could hear Garrus's quiet groan and had to bite her tongue to keep from giving one of her own. "It's fucking hot. You're all so soft and fragile looking. And then you go and save the galaxy twice. He's seen humans in action, you know. Relay 314. But no one like you. There's never been anyone like you."

"He's very lucky."

"Damn right I am. Anyone would be, but I'm the one who gets to see you when that soldier façade comes off. I get to see the woman behind all that armor. And I get to be the one to feel you in the grips of pleasure."

Her lips parted and a quiet "oh" escaped her; just thinking about it, thinking about the way he felt inside her when she hit her peak, made her skin warm and she was sure the councilor could see that she was reacting. She could almost hear the smile in Garrus's voice, but she couldn't find it in her to be angry with him; hell, she liked this forward and very verbal Garrus. _He's doing this on purpose._

She became vaguely aware that the Councilor had said something and blushed darker, running a hand through her hair. "I'm sorry, you said something, Councilor?"

His attention seemed to be temporarily focused on the way her hair fell back down around her face, but he recovered quickly. "I was merely expressing my pleasure that the both of you seem to be aware of my offer."

_His offer?_

"He's offering himself to both of us, to do with whatever we wish, if we'll have him," Garrus purred, as if reading her mind. "Whatever we want… can you imagine? The turian councilor at the mercy of our whims…" He moaned outright now and her gaze darkened, her fingers itching to relieve the arousal coiled within her. She risked a glance over her shoulder into the War Room—thank goodness no one could overhear—and then returned her eyes to the councilor. He watched her with unveiled interest as she cocked out her hip, setting one hand on it and rubbed the back of her neck with the other. The new position showed the expanse of her throat in a way that, as Garrus said, "should have been illegal", and drew attention to the nip of her waist.

"Yes, well… I wasn't until Garrus informed me of it."

"I see. You seem surprisingly unopposed to the idea… I'm glad." The warmth in his voice showed just how true that was, and Shepard wondered if he had been nervous. She laughed lightly and the councilor visibly relaxed.

"Believe me, Councilor, as much as you and I have butted heads, I don't hold it against you. Hell, Garrus and I butt heads a fair amount of the time."

"And it only makes the make-up sex better."

She sputtered and the councilor smiled. "It seems your other half is interested in distracting you with what I can only assume are lecherous comments. And while I appreciate the reaction they provoke in you, I'd also appreciate an answer." His voice had dropped to the same pitch Garrus had been using and she sighed, a tremor of barely-contained need running through her. Garrus was going to have to make good on all his talk when they were done.

"Believe me, Councilor, Garrus is extremely interested." He looked momentarily disappointed, but she continued before he could say anything. "And, after today, so am I."

"Excellent," Sparatus sighed gratefully, "Then you will do me the honor of meeting with me the next time the _Normandy_ docks at the Citadel, both of you?"

"With pleasure," she agreed, earning a pleased purr from the councilor. God, if he kept making sounds like that, she would turn the _Normandy_ around right now…

"I should hope so."

With that, he terminated the connection and she sagged, leaning forward on the railing and closing her eyes.

"I think that went well," Garrus said smugly and she growled at him. "Oh come on, Shepard, you have to admit that was fun."

"Garrus, if you are not waiting in my cabin when I get up there, there will be hell to pay. You started this, you will fix this," she muttered, quick strides carrying her through the War Room and back toward the elevator. Her hand slammed the control with much more force than necessary—and earned a knowing look from Traynor—but Shepard didn't seem to notice. She fidgeted from foot to foot, impatience crackling in every fiber of her being.

"Yes, ma'am," he purred and she could hear that he had managed to arouse himself as much as he'd aroused her. Good.

Shepard knew that the elevator was slow, but the ascent up the single level to her cabin was torturous. The minutes felt like days before the doors finally slid open and she practically bolted to her door; she stumbled over the key code, swearing under her breath until the door finally slid open on the third try. Garrus hadn't arrived yet and she took the chance to fall backwards onto her bed. Her body was a livewire—really, any little touch would have driven her mad—but even in her lust-addled state, she couldn't help the whisper of doubt. Was this a good idea? What if it backfired horrendously? Did she really want to get this involved with someone she barely knew? Arousal made her body ache, derailing her thoughts, and she let a hand wonder down toward the top of her fatigues. Just a little bit of relief, she told herself, just until he got there…

The doors whooshed open and she sat up, propping her body up on one elbow, her other hand stilling at the undone button of her pants. Garrus stopped just inside the door, mandibles flaring as he stared at her. The way his pupils dilated, she knew he had smelled her and she felt her face flush, but didn't move. His breathing was unusually measured—something she knew he did to hide just how turned on he was—as he descended toward her, tension coming off him in waves.

"Shepard… Are you sure about this? Is this what you want?" he asked quietly. His voice was barely above a growl and she chewed her lip; it took all of her self-control not to let her hand dip into her pants to touch herself when he talked like that.

Was that what she wanted? She felt her most intimate muscles clench and swallowed a groan. Oh, yeah, she wanted that, but… "I'm just a little nervous about this whole thing. How do we know it won't… I dunno, go awkwardly and horribly wrong?" She looked down at the bed beside her and continued, trying to keep her tone light, "I think I can only survive one interspecies awkwardness thing."

"You trust me, right?"

"Of course I do!" Her gaze flew back up to his face and found him leaning over her, hands planted on either side of her knees. "I just… How will this even work? I mean, who would go where, and… Oh fuck, I feel like a child!" she finished exasperatedly, falling back onto the bed and throwing an arm over her face. "I've never done something like this, Garrus." She felt the dip of the bed as he crawled over her and peeked out from under her arm at him.

"Are you sure about this?"

"Yes! I just... I'm not the experienced one, here. You'll have to show me…" She gestured vaguely and grinned. "Well, everything."

He hummed and dipped his head to her neck, running his tongue along the smooth skin. "I can do that…" She sighed happily and he gave her a light nip. "You already know turians have a much more casual view of sexual encounters than humans do. Sparatus joining us is… Well, it's not a permanent situation. If all does not go well, then we'll never speak of it again." She opened her mouth to say something but he silenced her by trailing his tongue across her collarbone and began to unbutton her shirt. "And outside the bedroom, nothing has to change. Your job and his are not a part of this."

"But you said—"

"Hush." He finished with the buttons and swirled his tongue around her navel, making her suck in a breath. He chuckled and moved back up to study her face; she was flushed and panting lightly, just the way he liked her.

"Alright but, won't it be—I don't know—an affront to your manly pride or something to have another guy participating?" she finally managed. He scoffed and she glared at him, but the look faded as he started tugging her pants down her legs.

"Please, Shepard. I know who you belong to." At her indignant huff, he nipped her on the side of her neck, just over her bondmark, and she let off a muffled moan. "So no, it will not hurt my 'manly pride'. I know I'm the only one who can make you scream."

She pushed him back and started undoing the catches of his armor; it was annoying in situations like this, but after the crew had been taken by the Collectors, she'd stopped questioning why he did he wore it around the ship. His breastplate fell off with a satisfying hiss and she tossed it aside triumphantly. "Fine, but… I dunno, I guess I can't see him as anything other than 'the Councilor'." More bits of his armor hit the floor as he began to help her, eventually shedding his undersuit and exposing his plates to her hands. She trailed a hand down his carapace while the other snaked around to the back of his fringe.

"He's just a man like any other, Shepard. He has needs too, and—what with the galaxy in turmoil and all that—he's under a lot of pressure. He could use some… stress relief." He groaned as her fingers massaged the sensitive hide at the back of his head and buried his face in her shoulder. "Spirits, Shepard…" His battle to keep control was a losing one.

"Hmm…"

"And besides," he added, looking her in the eye again. The heat there was mirrored in his own and he started tracing lazy circles with one talon just above the edge of her panties. "We know that you and I work well together—we always have—but can you imagine putting that to use…" He took a breath and she could hear the tremor of barely contained lust. "…on the councilor?"

Shepard squeezed her thighs together, trying to get some friction to alleviate some of the unbearable need, but it did no good. His gaze was hooded and she could feel his erection pressed against her hip, drawing a conspiratorial smile from her. "You alright, Garrus?" she asked innocently, "This isn't turning you on _more_, right?" The low warning growl he gave her made her smile widen a little. Of course it was; she knew all the signs and he was a walking billboard. He was standing before she had blinked and dragged her up with him, pulling her tight to his chest. His hand tangled in her hair, pulling her head back, and he pressed a bruising kiss to her lips. She gasped, giving his tongue a chance to taste her, to tangle with her own, and he took it. The rest of her clothes were surrendered and when they parted they were both breathless. He pressed his forehead to hers and held her there, eyes burning into hers.

"You know _exactly_ what you do to me, Shepard. Any man—and some women—would be crazy not to react the way I do." He lifted her and placed her back on the bed, hovering above her. "Which is why I don't blame the councilor. And I get to gloat about you."

"Glad to see your priorities are—Ah!"

He silenced her with a decidedly rough tweak of her nipples that made her arch off the bed. "Too much thinking, Shepard," he scolded, tenderly massaging the hardened peaks. She tried to give him an intimidating look, but she was too far gone. The way he touched her… She couldn't argue with him when he was doing that. Pressing her to the bed, Garrus lazily licked his tongue up the expanse of her throat, causing her to shiver. What would she look like with Sparatus licking up her neck, nipping below her ear, while he plunged into her over and over? He rolled his hips against her, causing her to arch up into him, her body begging for more contact. "Can you imagine how it would feel to have four hands on you at once? How quickly do you think we could get you to break?" He punctuated the last sentence with a sharp thrust, burying his length in her in one movement. She gasped, mind filled with the images of Sparatus hovering over her, teasing her, while Garrus would be lying underneath her, filling her completely. Garrus thrust abruptly up into her once again, bringing her back to the present with a low growl and she forced her eyes to his. "Can you imagine, Shepard? He could be taking you from behind right—" he pulled back and drove back into her again "—now."

She moaned, wrapping her arms around his neck and hooked her legs up over his hips. She'd never thought about having two men at once, let alone two turians… Garrus's tongue made another pass down her throat and she turned her head to give him more access.

"How do you think it would feel to have both of us inside of you?" he purred in her ear before trailing light, teasing bites down her neck as he pulled almost completely out of her. "How would it feel to clench yourself around both of us?" He drove back in and she cried out.

He was torturing her with his body and with his words, and she wasn't sure how much more she could take. But everything he was saying was making her imagination run wild. How _would_ it feel, the both of them inside of her?

"You're so tight, Shepard," he groaned, pulling out and thrusting sharply back in again, "Sparatus has never felt anything like you." He pulled completely out again, but paused and she whimpered.

"Garrus…" she begged, pressing her fingertips into the back of his fringe and he growled, talons flexing against the flesh of her hips. She inhaled sharply at the sensation and tightened her legs around him. "Please, I need you."

"Mmmm… Now I can only think of how hot it would be to watch you beg Sparatus," he growled, and she made a desperate sound in the back of her throat. "Spirits, Shepard…" He didn't wait now, pounding into her body and she screamed, arching so their chests were pressed together. Her grip on his fringe tightened and she rolled her hips in time with his thrusts, knowing she was hurtling toward her peak.

"God, Garrus," she moaned, her orgasm crashing over her in waves, and her innermost muscles contracting around him. That was enough to drive him over the edge and he roared against her shoulder, spilling his seed inside of her. He stilled, letting her ride out the aftershocks, and pressed light kisses along her jaw, trailing up to her lips before kissing her tenderly. She sighed contentedly as he shifted to lie beside her, letting her eyes fall closed, and stretched. Every inch of her body tingled pleasantly and she looked at him sideways.

"That… That was…" She sighed happily again and he chuckled.

"That good?" he teased, "Now, just think that all of that might actually happen. Will happen." She hummed, seemingly lost in thought; he threw an arm around her waist, pulling her to him. Had he been too forward with that…? "Are you absolutely sure about this? I mean, I don't want—"

"Garrus, I'm sure. You have thoroughly convinced me." She rolled onto her side and propped her head on her elbow, looking down at him with a smile. Her face was still flushed and her eyes shone. "And after the mission to Noveria, we'll go back to the Citadel and ravage the turian councilor. Deal?"

His mandibles flared in a smile and he nuzzled her cheek before pulling her down with him. "Deal."

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**Let me know what you think!**


	4. Research

**I meant to update this story a lot sooner, and I'm so sorry for how long it took. I'm a terrible person! So, hopefully a big ol' chapter of yummy smut will make up for it?**

**Mega props to Greenyoda987 for helping me out with this chapter and giving me some much-needed inspiration!**

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The Citadel was oddly peaceful—considering how close to destruction it seemed to constantly find itself—as the _Normandy_ crew trudged through the docking bay. The mission to Noveria was supposed to have been simple: get in, disable the base's defenses, and let the Alliance take it out. The emphasis, Shepard had realized, was on "supposed". With a grimace, she pulled her sweatshirt tighter around her body and tried in vain to dispel the last of Noveria's chill from her body, an action that Garrus didn't miss. She knew he hated the cold as much as she did, but for some reason, she couldn't seem to feel warm again. The turian wrapped an arm around her waist as they entered the elevator and she leaned against him gratefully.

"Thanks," she mumbled, keying in the Presidium as their destination.

He seemed to war with himself for a moment before sighing and turning her to face him. "Jane… We don't have to do this now. I can tell the Councilor that we have to reschedule."

Her brow furrowed and she scowled. "Why?"

"Because you're clearly not back to full strength yet. You've been shivering since we left Noveria, I can tell you haven't been sleeping, and don't even get me started on the limp you've been trying to hide from me." His sudden frustration made her stare at him in surprise, and he sighed, running a hand down his face. "Spirits, Shepard, I'm sorry. I'm not angry, just… worried. I don't want you to feel like this is one more thing you have to do." He knew that everyone and their cousin had been begging her to do one thing or another for them, he had seen the shadows growing under her eyes, and he didn't want to add to that. But she just curled her lips in a small smile and wrapped her arms around his waist, laying her cheek against his carapace.

"I know, Garrus," she said quietly as the elevator began its steady ascent, "But I know this was something that you were looking forward to and…" She gave a quiet laugh. "This sounds so shallow, but I just wanted to forget that there was a war going on, for once. I wanted to forget about all of the people counting on me to… fix this."

He hugged her tightly around her shoulders and nuzzled his face into her hair. "It's not shallow."

Now she laughed louder, looking up at him with a smirk. "Even if I'm just using the councilor to feel like a person and not a tin soldier?"

"I don't know what a 'tin soldier' is, or what it has to do with anything, but yes. You deserve some time off, more than anyone else," he replied, "And I'm sure the councilor wouldn't care."

Shepard shook her head, lifting up on her toes to kiss his brow lightly. "Whatever you say, Garrus. Now, where did he say his apartment was?" she asked as they stepped out, looking around the Presidium. She had never spent enough time on the Citadel to become overly familiar with the layout of the residential areas; she knew where to buy weapons, where to find the politicians, and where to get a bite to eat, but that was the extent of her knowledge of the station. Garrus, however, merely draped an arm over her shoulders and steered her toward the higher-rent district, strolling casually as if it were the most natural thing in the world for two soldiers to be wandering around one of the wealthiest parts of the Citadel. She pressed against his side as they walked, trying not to notice the odd looks they were getting—it seemed they were _painfully_ underdressed—and kept her eyes straight ahead as she tried to guess which of the ritzy glass buildings was their destination. _Maybe the round, spiral-y one? No? Or the more traditional spire? No? _Garrus tugged her down a side street and she followed him into the brightly lit lobby of a particularly splendid complex.

"Can I… help you?" a skeptical concierge asked them; the female turian folded her hands on top of the glossy black desk and regarded them with a raised brow, a gesture that contorted the particularly ornate cream loops of her colony paint. She sniffed with unveiled disdain at Garrus's arm around Shepard's waist and the human bristled. The women visibly sized each other up before the concierge turned her attention to Garrus, eyeing him appreciatively.

"Yes, Councilor Sparatus requested that we come, Garrus Vakarian and Jane Shepard," Garrus answered, either ignoring or unaware of the unspoken battle going on in front of him. The concierge blinked in surprise and abruptly pulled up a holoscreen, scrolling through it quickly until she found the entry she was looking for. A low "hmph" escaped her and she tapped a few more commands before returning her attention to them—well, Garrus.

"Yes, he said to direct you to his apartment on the top floor," she said with some shock, "The elevator to your right will take you there. His is the penthouse at the end of the hall."

Shepard smiled sweetly but it didn't reach her eyes. "Thanks. Now, if you'll excuse us?" She pulled Garrus toward the indicated elevator and sighed her exasperation once the doors had closed.

"Problem?" Garrus asked with a small grin and Shepard glared at him.

"Oh no, the concierge eyeballing you like her next meal _totally_ doesn't bother me," she replied sarcastically. At his slightly alarmed look, she chuckled. "Relax, Garrus. I don't like it, but I trust you not to leave me for some random turian who stares at you long enough." She paused and added with a laugh, "Well, besides the councilor."

"Now hang on," he replied, "The councilor is equally enamored with both of us, if I recall. Besides, I'm not 'leaving' so much as 'leading'." She couldn't help but smile as he embraced her from behind, his chin resting on top of her head. "You're sure about this?"

"Of course. It's kind of nice to think that someone wants me around for something other than blowing up Cerberus or Reapers." Shepard shoved her hands into the pockets of her casual pants and scuffed a boot against the pristine floor. Absently, she wondered if it were a feature of the apartment complex that every surface was polished to the point of being reflective, but Garrus derailed her musings by leaning down to her neck and nipping a trail down to her shoulder. She hummed appreciatively and melted back against him, letting his hands explore her torso; trails of heat followed his talons' path through her clothes and she felt his hips grinding against her ass. She pressed back against the warmth of his body and he growled, grabbing her hips roughly and biting lightly at her earlobe.

"What about me?" he purred, inches from her ear and she shivered.

"_You_ have always been there. I know you appreciate me—"

"That's an understatement," he interrupted huskily, trailing his tongue along the underside of her jaw. A shallow gasp escaped her, one of her hands reaching up to grip his head; her fingers pressed insistently into the tender flesh of his fringe and his growl deepened, vibrations thundering from his chest and into her body.

"That may be true but…" She licked her lips and tried to steady her breathing as Garrus slid the zipper of her N7 sweatshirt down, exposing the simple black tank top underneath. He snuck one hand under the shirt and she bit down a whimper, relishing the feel of his talons against her skin. "But sometimes I think people forget I'm not a fancy AI to be ordered about."

Garrus opened his mouth to reply when the doors opened, revealing an irate looking salarian whose expression only darkened at the sight of two plebian soldiers dry humping in the elevator, and he carefully extricated himself from Shepard's person. She sighed and quickly righted her clothing, brushing by the businessman without saying a word and Garrus followed. The strode a few paces down the hallway before Shepard stopped, planted her hands on her hips and started laughing; Garrus smirked, chuckling quietly and adjusted the tunic of his civvies as he watched his mate try to rein in her hysterics. Her whole body seemed to shake and he could see tears threatening to slide down her face, but she quickly composed herself, straightening and wiping her eyes on the back of her sleeve.

"Ok, so do we mention the fact that some poor bastard just walked in us or no?" she asked, eyes sparkling.

"Well, since you just did…" Garrus caught her half-hearted swipe and pulled her into his arms again, pressing their foreheads together; she let him hold her, standing on her toes so he didn't have to crane his neck. "You sound a lot more like yourself," he finally said when they pulled apart and she chuckled.

"Something about my turian boyfriend trying to get in my pants in an elevator does a really good job at lightening the mood," she replied casually, sliding her hand into his. "Now come on, we have a councilor to ravage."

"Yes ma'am," Garrus chirped, leading her toward the end of the hallway and their latest adventure. He palmed the control and a VI drone appeared, scanning the both of them for a moment before disappearing.

"Ah, you've made it," the councilor's voice greeted them brightly through an intercom, "Please, come in. I'll just be a moment." The door slid open and the couple shrugged before entering, both starting instinctively as the door shut behind them. Shepard blinked and stared around the apartment; the lights were dim and candles bathed the space in a warm glow. Mystified, she moved further into the councilor's home, turning this way and that; it was sparsely—but tastefully—decorated and soft music drifted through the air. Something slid under her boot and she paused, for the first time, examining the floor. Like the rest of the building, the surface was buffed to a mirror's shine, but unlike the rest of the building, rose petals littered the surface, the velvet red blooms standing out against the silver flooring even in the low light. Garrus followed her slow progress into the space, examining the walls and windows with great interest—ever the tactician—but focused his attention on his mate when she gave a surprised hum. She nodded toward a dual-chirality bottle of wine, nestled into a bucket of ice and flanked by three glasses, with a small smile.

"It seems he's pulled out all the stops for us," she said quietly, leaning back against the table to examine the room again. But, before Garrus could answer, they heard footsteps drawing nearer.

"I apologize. After the attempted coup, many businesses filed complaints and demands for compensation. It's been difficult to escape work," the councilor said, descending a peripheral flight of stairs to join them in his living room. As he strolled into the room, Shepard's smile widened and Garrus draped an arm over her shoulders. "But please, I'm sure there are much more interesting things we may discuss than political maneuvering."

"Oh I don't know, Councilor," Shepard replied cheekily, flashing a mischievous look to Garrus, "I hear salarian businessmen are notorious for inopportune timing." To his credit, Garrus managed to stifle his guffaw to a low snort, but it didn't stop the councilor from raising a browplate at the reaction.

"Tiber, please," he said, relaxing into a casual stance, "Now… I'm sure I'll regret asking, but why do you know that?"

Now Shepard laughed outright, moving away from the table to stand incredibly close to the turian councilor. "Tiber, hm? I like it," she mused, "But if you want that story, you'll either have to get me drunk or compel me to talk."

Garrus shook his head, coming up behind her to wrap an arm around her middle and met the older man's eyes over her shoulder. "I'm sure he can be very… convincing," he purred in the human woman's ear and she hummed in agreement.

"I assure you," Sparatus replied, "I didn't get to where I am without knowing how to _talk_ my way into anything." He made sure to emphasize the word 'talk', letting his subharmonics wrap the single word in a heavy purr, mainly for the other turian's benefit – however, it seemed that the low rumbling warble he'd used wasn't lost on Shepard as both he and Garrus noticed the slight shiver that ran up her torso. He flared his mandibles out in a slight smirk, amused that, while she may not understand the meanings behind their subharmonics, the vibrations from them weren't lost on her. He reached past Shepard—taking the opportunity to inhale the scent of her hair—and lifted the bottle of wine. "However, I'm sure you won't refuse a drink?" At Shepard's bright expression, he took his cue and popped the bottle open; glasses were filled and accepted with nods and Sparatus held his slightly aloft. "To your efforts; the galaxy owes you far more than simple toasts, and I can only hope to repay you for everything you've done." The two soldiers mumbled their agreement and all three drank, savoring the taste of fine wine in the quiet apartment. "I hope you'll pardon my forwardness, but I assumed that your rations were a bit uninspired and took the liberty of ordering some… delicacies."

Now Garrus raised a brow. Ok, he had assumed that this was going to be casual but this was all very… planned. Shepard didn't seem to mind, but this all had the air of being very… formal? It was the only way he could see it, yet Shepard—a known detractor of pomp and circumstance—was entirely at ease. Sparatus returned bearing two plates—one he recognized as _halveta_, the other was unknown to him but Shepard's entire face lit up when she saw the strange brown lumps—and gestured for them to sit on the low couch near the window. Garrus followed Shepard's lead and obeyed, resting a hand on her knee as the dishes were set before them.

"Alright, Tiber, spill," Shepard finally said as the turian councilor lifted one of the morsels she hadn't moved her eyes from and held it up for her to eat, "how in the hell did you get chocolate-covered strawberries?"

The way she said it told him that these were a human delicacy she was particularly fond of and Garrus wondered the same thing, or rather how the councilor—a known skeptic of humans—would know what she liked? The elder merely smirked.

"I may have done a bit of… research."

The admission made a catlike grin spread across the woman's face and she took the offered fruit between her lips, eyes fluttering closed as she bit down and savored the taste. "And the rest?" she prompted, licking the chocolate from her lips a bit more sensually than was absolutely necessary. The action made Garrus's hand on her knee tighten and slide further up her leg.

"The rest?"

Now Shepard leaned forward, catching the councilor off guard as she met his eyes. "The candles, the rose petals—which I'm also curious to know where you got them—the music… All part of your… research?" She cast a playful look at Garrus and he coughed. His research hadn't shown him anything like this, but then again, he had also only been looking for a way to make sure he didn't look foolish in bed. If there had been a test, he would have failed, but somehow it had all worked out. Sparatus, however, seemed to be passing with flying colors and the younger turian couldn't help but wonder at the ease with which he was doing it.

Sparatus glanced around awkwardly as Shepard held his hand still and delicately ate the rest of the offered strawberry—Garrus was sure he saw her tongue sneak out and brush the councilor's hand—and he tried to manage a dignified reply. "Yes, well, one can't walk into a situation without understanding all parties involved."

"So very proper," Shepard purred, fingers sliding down to trace Sparatus's wrist and Garrus couldn't help but smile at the surprise on the older man's face. Clearly, he hadn't been expecting Shepard to be so relaxed and Garrus took the chance to run his talons through her hair. The sound she made in her throat had the councilor leaning toward her, lust darkening his gaze and she tilted her head into Garrus's hand. "Cheater," she accused, but there was no power behind it and Garrus's smile widened.

"Nonsense. Merely giving Tiber a demonstration of how to derail your… persistence," he replied, focusing back on the elder turian. Sparatus, it seemed, had not forgotten him and smirked, carefully extracting his arm from Shepard's failing grip to offer the _halveta_ to him the same way he had fed Shepard. This was… well, different to say the least; it was intimate, and personal, and… actually, really arousing if he admitted it. And that didn't even begin to cover the fact that _halveta _was, first of all, almost impossible to get off Palaven, and second, reserved for romantic nights alone with one's mate. Was what he'd given Shepard similar in significance? Shepard turned her head, watching him with sparkling eyes, and he felt his plates loosen, recognizing the flush of lust on her face. Yup, most definitely. His mandibles flared in a smile before he sat forward and accepted a bite of the tangy, fleshy fruit from the councilor's hand; Sparatus's expression relaxed and he seemed to have banished whatever doubts he had as the two young soldiers savored a rare moment of peace. Shepard had shifted so she was stretched out, legs hanging over the arm of the couch, and laid her head in Garrus's lap. Her hair spread across his thighs and the councilor took the chance to twirl a strand of it between his fingers, a curious expression stealing across his face. Garrus smirked and scratched lightly at her scalp, making her moan quietly and Sparatus's mandibles fluttered. "She's not so different from turian women," Garrus finally said, his other hand tracing patterns across her collar bone as she smiled, eyes closed.

"I can see that," Sparatus mumbled, watching enrapt.

"But she also appreciates your research into human romance," Shepard said, surprising them both as she cracked one eye open, "Although chick flicks might not have been the most realistic example." Garrus choked and the councilor blinked, mandibles tight to his face in an expression that didn't give him a chance to deny that Shepard's analysis was true. But despite the obvious discomfort of both men, she kept smiling. "It's not bad, really—actually, it's really cute—but I swear everything turians know about humans is either from crappy porn or cheesy romance vids."

Now Garrus had to laugh, smiling at the turian councilor as the older man looked away sheepishly. "If it helps, I was the one who looked to crappy porn for advice."

"And I'm glad you admit it," Shepard added, earning a playful growl. Sparatus merely shook his head.

"I suppose I should have known you would catch on to my attempts to impress you," he conceded, a smile pulling at his mandibles, "Though I'm hoping you won't hold it against me."

Shepard sat up, propping herself on her elbows in a way that let Garrus trace the column of her throat lightly with one hand. "Why would I hold an effort to make us happy against you?" she asked, gazing levelly at the turian councilor. When he didn't reply, she looked up at the turian behind her. "Garrus, did I throw you out of my cabin when you showed up with cheap wine and that god-awful music?"

Garrus chuckled and shook his head. "No you did not," he said quietly, taking the chance to bend down and nip her neck lightly before looking up to the older man. Sparatus's eyes were firmly locked on the exposed skin of Shepard's throat, though and Garrus couldn't help the smug thought that it was _his_ mate who was so enticingly displayed, _his_ mate who made the councilor of all people scramble to earn her favor, and _his _mate who managed to radiate strength and confidence even from her back as he stroked her hair. She hummed her agreement and Garrus leaned slightly toward the councilor. "And then she showed me the best night of my life," he added conspiratorially. Now Sparatus's eyes turned toward him, green locking with blue; from her place looking up from below them, Shepard mused that this could easily become one of her favorite views. Why had she been so worried about this again?

"I…" Sparatus paused, swallowing and Shepard took the chance, leaning around him to take one of the scaly-looking fruit he'd offered Garrus, and shifted so she was sitting upright. Garrus, seeming to sense her intentions, lifted her so she was in his lap—her legs on either side of his own—facing the councilor and set his chin on his mate's shoulder. Now there were mere inches between the three of them and Shepard held the _halveta_ toward Sparatus the same way he had for Garrus, her eyes half-lidded with the same lust that was mirrored in both turians. The atmosphere almost crackled as none of them moved, as if they expected at any moment that they'd wake up from a dream. Yet after a few moments, Sparatus finally cradled Shepard's hand in his own and accepted the offered fruit. Before he could move away, Shepard gripped his waist with her other hand, keeping him close, and pressed her lips to his mouth. In his surprise, he gasped and Shepard stole the opportunity to tease his tongue with her own. Garrus purred, mandibles fluttering against his mate's neck, and reached around to grip the back of the councilor's neck; his fingers pressed into the sensitive hide below the elder man's fringe and Sparatus shivered. Garrus had to admit, watching Shepard kiss the councilor was far more arousing than it had any right to be; was that what it looked like she kissed him? Finally, Sparatus broke away for air, eyes wide, and Shepard smiled, not missing the deep rumble coming from his chest. "I think we'd be better off moving this… elsewhere," Sparatus finally growled, eyes flashing between the two soldiers. Garrus matched Shepard's grin and stood, throwing her over his shoulder; she gave a decidedly undignified yelp and grabbed his waist to support herself. Garrus turned so she could look up at the councilor as Sparatus stood; she blew an errant section of her hair from her eyes as Garrus shifted, and the councilor's eyes locked on to her lips.

"Where should I put her?" Garrus asked, giving her ass an affectionate squeeze that made her try to straighten and stop him, but Sparatus caught her face in his hand and brought their mouths together again. She hummed appreciatively as the turian councilor's talons found their way into her hair, tilting her head back just enough to deepen the kiss, and pressed her thighs together in an effort to alleviate some of the steadily growing need. Garrus, however, didn't miss it and growled against her ribs. "Spirits, Shepard, you smell amazing…"

Shepard looked at him over his shoulder, eyes sparkling, "Then find somewhere to put me down," she said huskily, turning her attention back to the councilor, who was making a significant effort to remain composed—though his mandibles still twitched erratically. "Tiber?"

That snapped him out of his trance. Sparatus gestured toward the stairs he had descended from, stepping around Garrus to lead the way. Shepard couldn't help her giggle as she was bounced up the stairs over Garrus's shoulder, tightening her hold on his waist to keep from falling; the action made him stumble slightly, unprepared for the sudden, very _stimulating_ contact. He gave her ass a half-hearted slap and she squeaked, making the councilor turn when they reached the top of the stairs. Shepard tried to glare indignantly and failed—she was flushed and smiling—and the councilor let out a low laugh, pushing open the only door in the short hallway.

His bedroom was just as Spartan in decoration as the rest of the apartment was—the few personal touches were tasteful and reserved—but the muted lighting and flickering candles gave the space an atmosphere of sensuality. Garrus eyed the large bed meaningfully and Sparatus responded with a low growl; that was all the incentive the younger turian needed and he tossed an unsuspecting Shepard onto the mattress. She yelped as she bounced before scrambling to right herself; she ended up on her hands and knees near the end of the bed and Garrus grinned as she sat back on her heels, propping her hands on her hips.

"Was that entirely necessary?" she panted, feigning displeasure; her hair was disheveled and her sweatshirt had slid down to expose one of her shoulders. Sparatus watched, intrigued as Garrus stalked forward, stopping so he loomed over her, and cradled her face in both of his hands; she looked so small by comparison, staring up at him with a sly smile.

"Incredibly," Garrus purred, bending to bump their foreheads together as his hands slid down, divesting her of her jacket. "Tiber, I could use some help," he added, looking over his shoulder, "She can be quite the handful."

That spurred the councilor into motion, closing the distance between them in a few short strides, and he paused beside the younger man to sneak a bite at Garrus's neck. A growl—pitched far lower than he'd ever used with Shepard—escaped Garrus's chest and his mandibles twitched into a surprised smile; well, he hadn't expected this, but he wasn't complaining. After all, the councilor _had_ asked for both of them. Shepard's eyes widened slightly and her smile grew as she watched; a thrill of excitement shot through her and she reached out, grabbing the edge of the councilor's tunic when he turned his attention to her again. He watched with mild appreciation as she undid the hidden fastenings and she silently thanked the Maker for all her experience with Garrus's clothes. The tunic fell open and she shoved it off his shoulders triumphantly, taking the opportunity to explore the bared flesh with her hands. Sparatus forced his breathing to remain even as her numerous fingers found the spaces between his plates, short, blunt nails dragging against the skin, but his heart pounded against his ribs and he was sure she could feel it. Yet as she continued, his eyes fluttered closed and Garrus took the chance to turn his own attention to Shepard; he tugged her shirt up, baring her chest and back before forcing her hands off of the councilor as he removed that garment as well. When he no longer felt her touch, Sparatus opened his eyes, but then he felt her lips pressed against his waist and _oh Spirits…_

Shepard watched the councilor through her lashes as she traced the sensitive flesh of his waist with her lips and tongue, her hands heading toward his pants to remove them as well; a low rumble had started within his chest and sent vibrations through her body in the same delicious way Garrus always did. Sparatus, however, finally regained his senses and reached out, talons closing around Garrus's arm, and pulled the younger turian to his side. Garrus smirked and let the councilor move him, burying his head beside the older man's neck, and trailed his tongue along the sensitive hide there. Sparatus hissed in a breath and tugged Garrus's head back gently, fixing him with a needy stare. Shepard had gotten his pants open by now and his cock emerged, hard and ready, from behind his plates and she hummed appreciatively. Garrus took the opportunity to pull Sparatus's mouth to his, his tongue tangling with the councilor's just as he would have done with Shepard. Kissing another turian, he noted, was a bit strange—as it was normally a human gesture—yet even then it was still a wonderfully arousing action and—

Sparatus pulled back suddenly, breath escaping him in a whoosh; the sudden movement prompted Garrus to search for the source, immediately looking down at Shepard and… Oh, the little minx. She smiled innocently and licked her lips—she was teasing him, Garrus knew it—and pumped her hand down the councilor's length. Oh, he knew how soft her hands were… Sparatus moved as if to stop her, but Garrus caught his head again, pulling the older turian back in so their tongues could meet. Shepard took her cue and licked a path up the underside of Sparatus's cock again, holding his hips steady when he bucked into her involuntarily. She felt him shudder as she wrapped her lips around the head, sucking lightly, but he didn't try to pull away or stop her. Well, she was sure that Garrus was partially responsible for that. Talons knotted into her hair—she wasn't sure whose—as she slid her lips further down, pressing her tongue against the underside of the councilor's length, and she was sure she could hear both of them breathing heavily. She took another glance up through her lashes to see two sets of eyes staring down at her with unbridled lust. That was an image she would burn into her brain, she decided, drawing out her last suck of the councilor's cock before sitting back again. A smug grin decorated her face and both turians growled, eyeing her mouth meaningfully.

"That… I…" Sparatus paused and swallowed, panting lightly, but words seemed to fail him.

"Trust me, I know," Garrus replied darkly, extricating himself from the other turian to drag Shepard to her feet. She pressed her body against his and tugged him down for an open-mouthed kiss, reaching to undo his shirt as she had Sparatus's, but he caught her hands. "You've done more than enough for now, I think," he purred, holding both of her wrists in one of his hands, and began to undo her pants. She squirmed defiantly, trying to reach his clothes, but Sparatus slipped up behind her and dragged his talons lightly down her ribs, making her freeze.

"Now, now," he rumbled just behind her ear, "It's our turn now." He licked a trail down the side of her neck and she let out a shivering breath as Garrus pushed her pants down to her ankles.

"I could almost get used to following orders," she breathed, letting her head fall back onto the councilor's shoulder. The motion gave him a clear view of the crescent-shaped bondmark on her shoulder, yet he didn't seem perturbed and instead nipped the unmarked skin a bit higher on her neck.

"Fat chance," Garrus replied with a smile, sneaking an arm around to her back to unhook her bra with practiced dexterity that rivaled some human men's. He slid the garment down her arms, but did not release her, instead opting to caress her now-bare breasts as the councilor continued to tease the flesh of her neck. Well, that was… _extremely _hot. The councilor's dark plates stood out against Shepard's pale skin, now shining with a thin sheen of sweat. A low rumble pulled from Garrus's chest and he bent his head to taste the skin of her breasts. His tongue was rough against the sensitive flesh of her nipple and she arched, gasping at the contact. Sparatus hummed, letting his hands wander across the flat pane of her stomach, reveling in the soft, uninterrupted skin.

"Very responsive," the councilor mused, breath brushing her ear and she turned her head to face him, her eyes struggling to focus as Garrus took her nipple into his mouth and rolled the other between the pads of his fingers. A low mewl fell from her lips and she tried to wriggle free, but the two turians had other ideas.

"You have no idea," Garrus finally replied, straightening to nip the other side of her neck. "When you're inside of her, even more so." Shepard whimpered, tugging against his grip, but there was no effort behind it and he chuckled. "Or maybe you would prefer to try for yourself, Tiber?"

Shepard didn't have time to react before she was spun and pulled down so she was perched on Garrus's lap, one of his hands still holding her wrists behind her back and the other around her waist, pressing her back to his chest. Sparatus smiled, placing his hands on her thighs and tracing small circles with his thumbs. There was a moment where he searched her face and, seeing no objection, hooked one finger into the waist of her panties and pulled them down her legs before flinging them away. He pushed her legs open then, inhaling deeply as the scent of her arousal hit him. He forced himself to take a deep breath and exhaled slowly, dropping down to kneel in front of her, and was greeted by the sight of her sex; pink, warm, and already glistening. She was so soft, so wet, so... ready for him. Sparatus felt his length throb against her calf as he thought about how quickly he could just press into her, how quickly he could take her, especially with Garrus holding her like he was. But he wanted to savor this—he wanted _her_ to savor this, so instead, he slowly moved forward, bringing one of his hands closer to her center. Very gently, he pressed the pad of his finger against her slit and stroked down, making Shepard throw her head back and gasp; he groaned at how warm she was and how open.

Garrus purred, watching the darker male slide his hands up Shepard's legs and lean forward; briefly, the concern of allergies occurred to him, but it was quickly banished: the councilor wouldn't have invited them both if it were an issue. His grip instinctively tightened when Shepard jerked involuntarily and he bent his mouth to her shoulder, watching Sparatus's finger make another gentle pass over her folds; a desperate moan fell from the woman's lips and Garrus nuzzled his face into her hair.

"I told you, Shepard," he whispered against her ear, "that having both our hands on you would be amazing. Did you ever think you would have the turian councilor on his knees?"

Sparatus rumbled his agreement, sending vibrations straight to Shepard and her hips jerked again, muscles quivering under her skin. He ran the pad of his finger over her wet opening again, brushing the bud at the top and _oh._ She arched against Garrus's arms and the councilor tried it again, earning a moan that was half a scream. How very intriguing…

"It works even better if you use your tongue," Garrus advised casually, flexing his talons against her skin; she was panting, her body beginning to tingle in the most delicious way, and the pinpricks of pain were lost amongst the pleasant thrum of building ecstasy. He absently dragged his hand across her hip, watching the skin pucker and angry red trails blossom where his hands had been; even the lightest touch had its rewards, the pleasures of being with someone unplated, unprotected… He laid his fingers flat against her stomach when she jerked again, turning his attention back to the older turian between her legs. Oh, that wasn't fair…

Sparatus dipped his tongue into her folds again, circling the sensitive bundle of nerves he'd found; the taste was—he decided—addictive, prompting him to repeat the motion with more confidence. Shepard shifted her hips, straining toward him, and he gripped her thighs a bit harder, talons digging into the flesh just enough to break the skin but not enough to bleed. A desperate keen rose from her throat and she mumbled a string of curses that his translator couldn't keep up with, but the implication was clear enough: he should keep doing that. Garrus's purr had dropped in pitch and grown in volume, sending vibrations down Shepard's spine, and he moved his hand up from her hip to caress her breasts fondly; he still held both her wrists behind her back, happy that she was somewhat-voluntarily ceding control for once. Well, that, and watching the councilor work between her legs, combined with the noises she was making, made it very hard _not_ to be happy with the situation. He shifted, his own erection straining against his pants and pressed against the small of Shepard's back; the small motion sent a jolt of sensation through him, making him draw in a breath through his teeth. God, he needed to get his damn clothes off… His arm around her tightened, pressing their bodies flush together so he could grind his pelvis against her rear.

Shepard bit the inside of her cheek to keep from screaming as the councilor licked enthusiastically at her sex, pushing her far too quickly toward her peak. Stars were beginning to dance at the corners of her vision, and she could feel Garrus pressed insistently against her; there was no way she could keep holding out if they kept—

Sparatus, being particularly observant and full of initiative, pressed one finger into her—gently, so as not to hurt her—and gave her clit another lick. That was all it took and Shepard stiffened, her legs shaking as her orgasm ripped through her; her head fell back in a ragged, breathless cry, tendons in her neck straining against the skin. Garrus could feel the muscles in her stomach fluttering and noted the surprise in the councilor's face with some satisfaction.

"Hair trigger," he commented, lazily running his tongue along Shepard's shoulder as she trembled. Her breath came in shallow pants and he finally released her wrists, letting her slump forward, hands planted between her knees. Sparatus had stood from his place on the floor and held out a hand toward the younger turian, gaze expectant, and Garrus carefully slid out from behind Shepard, pausing to nuzzle her temple before standing. She exhaled heavily, trying to regain control of her body and lifted her eyes, only to be greeted by the sight of the councilor quickly and efficiently disrobing her partner. Garrus growled, feeling the older mans' talons scratching across the surface of his plates. Spirits, how long had it been since he had been with another turian? Sparatus pulled their bodies together roughly, their plates making a loud crack at the contact, and Garrus's hands automatically flew to the other turian's waist. He flexed his fingers against the unprotected flesh and Sparatus hissed in response, leaning forward to nip Garrus's neck, but the lighter male pulled back.

"Oh no, Councilor," he purred, "You need some stress relief just as much as Shepard." His hands trailed lower, talons grazing the elder's hips on the way to their destination. He could see Shepard sliding backward on the bed, finally leaning back against the headboard and took his opportunity. One rough shove was all it took to have Sparatus on his back and Garrus followed him down, kneeling over the other male. "And the both of you could learn a thing or two about letting someone else take over."

A low rumble emanated from Sparatus's chest, but he made no move to push Garrus off, instead tilting his head back to bare his neck. Garrus gladly took the cue, ducking his head down to bite at the offered skin roughly. It was expected, of course: Sparatus had, in essence, given himself to the couple and whatever they wished. And who was he to complain? His growl grew louder at the rough assault of his neck and he grabbed for Garrus's shoulders, but the younger man pushed his hands away. "Vakarian…" he growled in warning, but Garrus merely chuckled.

"I can see that I'm the only one with any self-control," he murmured, sneaking one hand down to stroke the councilor's still-throbbing erection. Sparatus threw his head back, jaws clenched together, but huffed out a surprised breath at the feel of soft hands caressing his face. Green met green and Shepard smirked, tracing the elegant swoops of his colony paint.

"Don't listen to him, he's got an ego the size of the Citadel," she said conspiratorially, fingers reaching around to massage Sparatus's fringe. Garrus hummed, feigning insult, but reached up to cup Shepard's cheek in his hand. She looked up, catching the look in his eye, and turned to kiss his palm lightly. The gesture, though small, sent a tremor through him and he could feel his heart swell. His lover, his mate… He traced her lips with one talon and she took the offered digit into her mouth; he could feel her tongue against his finger as she lightly sucked on it and Spirits if he didn't want her to be doing that somewhere else… He pulled himself away from that thought and pulled his hand back from her face, ducking forward to catch her lips for a chaste kiss before trailing the finger—now slick with Shepard's saliva—down between the Councilor's legs to the ring of taut muscle. He could hear Sparatus's breath hitch and waited, his other hand tracing soothing circles over the elder man's hip until his muscles relaxed again; Shepard had paused her ministrations to watch the Councilor's face when he had closed his eyes, but when he opened them again, they were dark, irises almost completely consumed by the black of his pupils. He made a sound in the back of his throat and she leaned down, tracing her tongue along the edge of one mandible. Garrus couldn't help his smile as he watched, carefully working his finger into the turian councilor. This was a position he'd never thought he would be in, and yet here he was, here they all were. Shepard's lips closed around the end of Sparatus's mandible and he could see her cheeks hollow as she sucked and—if the sound the man made was any indication—it felt pretty damn amazing. Garrus flexed the digit he'd worked into Sparatus, making the councilor's eyes roll back; that was a look he would love to see again. Shepard hummed—she felt the same, it seemed—and began the process on Sparatus's other mandible, her hands trailing down his chest to the unplated skin of his waist; the Councilor's growl deepened and Garrus found himself mirroring the sound. He couldn't wait any more; Sparatus's breath left him in a huff as Garrus withdrew, chest heaving as he panted quietly. When he looked up, Garrus was met by two pairs of green eyes looking up at him with unbridled lust, and it only served to spur him on. He grabbed Sparatus's hips roughly, the tip of his cock pressing against the older man's ass hole; there was only a moment of hesitation—a brief glance to be sure there were no objections—but as quickly as it came, it was gone. He pushed forward, earning a high-pitched keen at the sudden intrusion, and stopped, waiting. Shepard had shifted so the councilor's head and shoulders were settled in her lap, her fingers tracing patterns along the gaps in his plates, and bent to cover Sparatus's mouth with her own. Garrus could see glimpses of their tongues, searching and teasing, and took the chance to rock his hips forward. Even the slight motion made the darker male vocalize his approval and Garrus had to resist the urge to throw pacing to the wayside and pound into the willing body beneath him.

_No, no. This isn't just some quick rut between missions, _he chided himself, talons flexing against Sparatus's hips, _This is… fun. No distractions. Take your time._

Movement caught his attention and he watched as Shepard's hands quested further down the councilor's torso, finding the man's quivering erection without turning her attention away from the very impressive display of proper kissing. Sparatus hummed in response, arching into the touch—a motion that made Garrus growl at the delicious pressure it put on him—as Shepard stroked him, her hands—despite years of combat-earned callouses—soft by comparison.

Shepard held down a shiver, reveling in the vibrations that Sparatus sent through her entire body thanks to the position they were in. This was a lot more than she had anticipated when she had agreed to this… encounter, but she found that she didn't mind. Hell, she was enjoying this a lot more than she ever would have thought she would. Sparatus nipped at her lip playfully and she couldn't help but giggle, teasing his mouthplates with her tongue until he obligingly let her in again. Each pass her hands made was greeted with a purr that she happily swallowed, and when she squeezed, Sparatus growled, reaching up to wrap his arms around her shoulders and hold her down with him.

Garrus watched enrapt, almost forgetting where he was. Damn, it was hot to watch and—he couldn't help but feel a bit smug—it was probably what it looked like whenever they were together. Oh, he could never be with anyone but Shepard; Shepard and a third party, maybe, but never without Shepard. The councilor shifted his hips, sending a jolt of desire to Garrus's core and he was immediately flung back to the present.

"Forget how this works, Vakarian?" the other man purred as Shepard's lips strayed down his neck.

"No, sir," came his reply, and he drew back only slightly before pushing forward again. The effect was phenomenal. Garrus's mandibles pulled tight to his face and he leaned forward to get a better angle, his hands planted on either side of Shepard's knees; his thrusts were slow, measured, trying to draw out the moment, but Sparatus's expression and rumbling purr told him that was enough. The councilor had pulled Shepard's mouth back to his, tasting her tongue as her hands worked him, moving steadily faster over his length. Unthinking, his talons tightened on her shoulder, scraping into the fragile skin there, yet she didn't pull away. With each of Garrus's slow thrusts, Sparatus's growl grew louder until he finally pulled away from Shepard's mouth, snarling as his orgasm ripped through him; his cum coated Shepard's hands and dripped onto his stomach, glistening in the low light. Shepard sat back, carefully slipping out from under Sparatus's shoulders, and smirked as Garrus pulled out of the councilor, still erect; she brought her fingers up to her mouth and licked the sticky fluid from each one, never looking away from her lover. A low rumble echoed from his chest and Garrus lunged, effectively pinning her under him. She squeaked in appropriate surprise, bucking her hips to try and dislodge him, but he only pressed more insistently against her. One of his hands wandered down between her legs, drawing a pleased growl from him when he found her already wet and ready; she opened her legs further, hitching one knee up and over his hip, and Garrus took the invitation. Being with another turian was nice, but nothing compared to being with Shepard, he decided. This time, he didn't wait, his hips snapping against hers hard and fast. The scent of her blood reached his nose and he buried his face against her shoulder. Shallow, parallel cuts adorned each of her shoulders, but he found that he couldn't be angry—he had done far worse in some of their more heated moments—and instead ran his tongue along the barely-bleeding marks without slowing his rhythm.

Garrus's tongue against the open cuts stung, yet it was lost somewhere in the back of her mind as Shepard tried desperately to keep track of every sensation: a taloned hand held one of her thighs, the other planted on the mattress above her head; plates rubbed against her skin, and hard, unrelenting thrusts sent shocks of pleasure through her entire body. She let her head fall back onto the bed and her arms wrapped round his neck as he lapped at the small scratches, rumbling out a growing hum as he surged into her. Another hand—Sparatus's, she had to assume—traced the contour of her ribs and she turned her head to meet his gaze. Garrus pulled back suddenly, snarling as his orgasm crashed over him; Shepard whined in need as his cock twitched inside her and he nuzzled her cheek in a silent apology as he withdrew. He settled down beside her, noting the flush that had her skin glowing in the low light, and gently trailed his talons down her torso, delighting in the reflexive twitch of her abdominal muscles. Sparatus watched with unveiled interest, his own hands exploring the responsive flesh of her breasts; Shepard had to admit he was observant, as he rolled one of her nipples between the pads of his fingers. She grasped blindly for him and he pressed his body to her side, his plates slowly parting again; a quiet moan slipped from between her lips as Garrus's fingers teased along the tops of her thighs. She was a mess of sensation, desperate for anything to push her forward, toward her pleasure's zenith, and they were teasing her mercilessly.

"It amazes me, the… resilience of humans," the councilor mused, leaning close to her ear as he spoke; his breath brushed along her neck and cheek, making her shudder. Garrus hummed his agreement, talons teasing the skin on the inside of her leg, mere inches shy of where she wanted them to be, and Shepard turned to glare half-heartedly at him, which made him chuckle quietly. Sparatus was right though, he mused. More than once, he'd found himself thanking the Spirits for human females' stamina in bed, only matched by turian males; and together, the effect was explosive. Shepard's surprised gasp drew his attention out of his thoughts and Garrus turned his eyes back to her; Sparatus had ducked his head down to her neck and dragged his teeth down the sensitive skin. That was a sound he wanted to be the cause of, and without waiting, he pressed one finger inside of her. Shepard threw her head back, biting her lip to muffle the moan it drew from her; Garrus ducked his head down to lick her neglected breast, gently taking the peak between his teeth. Her breath hitched and both turians growled happily, casting inquisitive glances at each other: now?

"Shepard," Garrus started, feeling his plates part against her hip as he felt her body clench around his finger, "We—"

"Garrus," she panted, lifting her head to fix him with a heated stare, "if you two don't fuck me, I swear to your damned Spirits I will throw the both of you in the Presidium Lake."

Sparatus's brow rose and Garrus couldn't help but laugh, withdrawing his finger from her to tease the tight star of her ass. "With pleasure," he purred, slowly and carefully working the digit inside of her again. Shepard didn't stiffen, only a sharp intake of breath betraying the novelty of it, and Garrus bent his head to catch her lips for a kiss. Her tongue met his hungrily, a low moan escaping her when he pushed deeper. Oh, this was going to be unbelievable. He eased his finger from her and she huffed out her breath at the loss of contact; before he could react, she had thrown her leg over his hips and sat up to straddle him. The position had her wet heat pressed insistently against his already-straining erection and he growled, grabbing her hips roughly.

"Tiber," she purred, sitting back to hold a hand out to the other man, "I believe your presence is needed."

Sparatus purred, taking her hand and moving to kneel behind her, his front pressed against her back. "Gladly," he replied, his voice a heated rumble just below her ear. Numerous times, it had struck Garrus just how unexpectedly hot it was to watch Shepard with another man, and he always had to remind himself that it wasn't just anyone, it was the turian councilor. Oh, he would remember this night for a long time.

Garrus lifted her gently and sheathed himself deep inside her, making both himself and Shepard moan. Sparatus wrapped one arm around Shepard's middle, an appreciative hum vibrating from his chest as he watched, but Shepard wasn't going to just let him observe. She leaned forward, allowing the darker male more access and peered beguilingly over her shoulder. An inquisitive trill escaped him and Garrus replied with an answering one of his own; yes, Shepard wanted them to share her. His hesitation was banished quickly and he carefully aligned himself with Shepard's second entrance, entering her slowly; Shepard bit down hard on the inside of her cheek to keep from crying out, the feeling of being completely filled and stretched almost overwhelming. Her head fell forward, her hands planted on Garrus's chest, and she gave an experimental flex of her hips. Both men growled in response, their hands tightening on her body. Oh, to be in power… She repeated the motion, gasping as stars exploded behind her eyes; Garrus shifted one of his hands higher on her waist and pulled her down toward him, forcing her hands over his shoulders and onto the mattress. His hand covered one of Sparatus's and he noted the contrast of his own silver plates and Sparatus's dark mahogany ones against his mate's skin; even under the crisscrossing scars that decorated her body, she was perfect.

Sparatus leaned forward so she was pressed flush between them and dropped his mouth to her shoulder; Garrus growled a quiet warning and the councilor answered with his own appeasing one. Their eyes met over Shepard's shoulder and Garrus purred his acquiescence, trailing his talons over the sides of the woman between them. She whimpered and tried to move against them, but couldn't find the leverage. Sparatus flexed his teeth against her skin and she gasped, arching her body in a way that pressed her breasts against Garrus's chest; with a low growl, he pulled out of her slowly and thrust back in again. Garrus bit down a roar as the older male's thrust forced Shepard further onto him, her body clenching tightly around both of them. Shepard let out a moan that would have put a turian woman to shame, her hands clenching tightly in the sheets, and it made both turians tighten their grips on her. Garrus lifted her by her hips, pulling her off of him and pushing her onto Sparatus, before thrusting back up into her. Curses fell from her lips in a torrent as both men thrust sharply into her, picking up a punishing rhythm that had all three of them gasping. Yeses and Ohs intermingled with curses and pleas as plates slapped against skin, and subharmonic growls surrounded Shepard in a cloud of sound. She could barely tell where she ended and they began, her body abuzz with sensation as she struggled to keep her mind focused. But every time she tried to open her eyes, to look into her lovers eyes, or see the man thrusting in behind her, a burst of pleasure forced her eyes shut and her mind would shatter into oblivion.

"Spirits, Shepard," Garrus growled, pulling her forehead down to his. Her eyes fluttered open just long enough to meet his gaze before a particularly hard thrust drew a loud moan from her. "You're so tight." She cried out when he thrust roughly up into her again, his talons leaving red trails along her ribs and hips. Sparatus growled his agreement, pulling back from her shoulder to examine the crescent shaped bite marks he'd left, and moved a hand to grip the back of her neck to gain more leverage. She threw her head back, crying out again and Garrus took the chance to leaned forward and nip down her neck.

"I would never have imagined…" the councilor started, but was cut off when Shepard screamed as she hit her peak. Both men snarled as her body clenched, muscles fluttering around them in the perfect way to finish them off and they followed after her. They collapsed in a tangle of limbs, shifting onto their sides with Shepard cradled between them. Carefully, both turians withdrew from the woman between them as she lay, boneless, in their arms. Her breath came in small gasps as she panted, head resting on her arms, and she forced one eye open to observe the two men beside her. Sparatus had sat up and inched toward the edge of the bed, suddenly looking as if he wasn't sure if he should stay, but she grabbed his wrist before he could retreat and pulled him down so he was flush to her back.

" 're not goin' anywhere," she mumbled, wrapping his arm around her middle as she snuggled back into him.

Garrus chuckled at the man's surprised expression and pressed himself to Shepard's front, laying one hand on her hip. "Humans like to cuddle. It's… very enjoyable," he purred, nuzzling the top of her head as he settled his head onto one of the pillows.

"I… I see…"

"And after that… wonderful time, you're not allowed to just disappear," Shepard added, gazing at him over her shoulder. "You can kick us out in the morning, if you want, but right now, we're going to fucking cuddle."

That made the turian councilor laugh and settled down behind her, inhaling the scent of her hair. "Yes, ma'am."

* * *

**Yay! Lemme know what you guys think!**


	5. Enlisted

**Greetings from Hawaii! Yes, I'm on vacation, which is my current excuse for why I've been slow to update. But, I _did_ manage to put something together for you all so you won't hate me =P**

**Greenyoda987 is amazing, as always, for working with a 6 hour time difference to help me edit this and catching all of my stupid mistakes.**

* * *

Shepard was very aware of two things when she woke up. The first was that she was not in her cabin, and definitely not on the _Normandy_. The second was that the turian pressed against her back was _not_ Garrus, and that her mate was nowhere to be found. But, within seconds of coming to that realization, she knew that it was Sparatus snuggled up against her and, for all his tendency to wander, Garrus would be nearby. Carefully, so as not to wake her bedmate, she slipped free of his arm and out from under the sheets. Thankfully, he appeared to be a heavy sleeper, and Shepard couldn't help but grin as he curled up in the warm space she had just vacated; whoever said turians couldn't be cute when they slept had never seen the Councilor as she was seeing him now. But she resisted the temptation to snap a photo on her omnitool and began the search for her clothing—because she wasn't sure wandering around his apartment naked would be appreciated.

Yet after minutes of searching, she had found every bit of her hastily-discarded clothing except for her panties. Granted, she was not above going commando, yet leaving them as a… surprise for the councilor was not something she would ever be able to live down. So, her clothing sat in a hasty pile near the door as she searched every possible inch of floor space for… _Oh you have _got_ to be kidding me._

Shepard stared, disbelieving, at her underwear, dangling from an elaborate wall sculpture mounted high on the wall opposite the bed. Of fucking course. She shook her head, but moved to stand below it. Ok, she'd found them; now how did she get them down? She reached up, straining up on her toes, but it was still too high. _Damn turians being so tall…_ Her balance faltered and she threw her hand out, catching herself on a narrow side table. Huh… Tentatively, she set her knee on the polished service and, satisfied that it wouldn't crumble and fall, pushed herself up the last inch to reclaim her undergarments. She cursed quietly as her forehead made hard contact with one of the sculptures numerous protrusions—she couldn't even tell what it was supposed to be, but then again she wasn't exactly an art expert—and felt the spot tentatively. Hopefully she wouldn't have a lump. But as she went to climb down, she became very aware of a presence behind her.

* * *

Sparatus was a heavy sleeper. If he were to describe his flaws, that would be the first, and he was sure that one day it would lead to his assassination. Or robbery. Yet he didn't know what had woken him up so suddenly when he finally did. And, he was extremely aware that he was alone. This was nothing new. His mate, for all her charms, had hated the political life, and—when he had refused to abandon his position—had left. Well, in the sense that she left in the only way possible; legally, they were still a bonded pair, and whenever they did see each other, it was cordial enough, but emotionally... There was little they shared anymore, and she had found a new partner with no hand in politics. He didn't begrudge her of her choice; yes, sometimes his job was infuriating, but someone had to do it, and he just happened to be good at it. And his mistress... Spirits, there was very little that was attractive to him about that woman anymore; granted, it had started out passionate enough, but then they had developed a routine... At this point, she was simply a warm body to keep the cold away after hard days; a warm body that he couldn't quite get rid of. She had expensive and indulgent tastes, much to his displeasure—he preferred a more self-sufficient female, who didn't need to be doted on at every waking hour—and she had recently been pushing the possibility of eloping to Illium with increasing regularity. He had a reputation to uphold and, as much as a blind eye was turned to his... unusual status, he wasn't about to throw it away for someone he held no feelings for. No, thank you, he would rather remain un-mated than to lower his status by making his partnership with her official. And, for all their disagreement, he had cared for Scylla and still did—to an extent—but he also knew that someone else could make her happier back on Palaven. He hadn't planned on it, but he had ended up alone on the Citadel, relying on escorts to keep the loneliness away.

But he was sure that he hadn't been alone when he had fallen asleep. In fact, he could still smell the scents of two others on the sheets. The last of his grogginess dissipated as a quiet curse reached his ears and he sat up. Shepard was kneeling on top of a table, completely bare and… Oh, that's where he had thrown those. His mandibles twitched with a bit of pride as he rose, moving to stand behind her. She had lowered one leg to climb down, but froze with one knee still raised and glanced over her shoulder.

"Oh! Tiber, I didn't mean to wake you, I was just—"

"You didn't," he purred, tracing his talons lightly down the curve of her waist. His body was quick to remember just how… fun the previous night had been and wasted no time in reacting to the delicate shiver that ran down her spine. His hands strayed around to her front, wrapping his arms around her chest and pulling her towards him, her back pressing into his carapace; he marveled, for a moment, that she actually was that soft—molding against him and allowing more contact than he ever could have experienced with a woman of his own species. She sighed and leaned into the contact as much as she could with her leg still tucked under her on the table, but he didn't give her a chance to move. "I must confess, I'm surprised you're still here."

He could see the sparkle in her eye as she looked over her shoulder at him, a smirk pulling at her lip. "Well, you _did_ catch me in the process of escaping," she teased, holding up her reclaimed panties and he couldn't help but chuckle. Shepard hummed in appreciation as the low vibrations ran through her. "Although, I suppose I am glad of it."

"You suppose?" He ducked his head down to flutter his mandibles along the line of her neck, sneaking light nips and teasing licks and… hadn't that mark been bigger the night before? He studied the faint circle where he knew he had bit her during the last night's events, yet it looked years old now. Interesting…

Shepard interrupted his thoughts with a quiet laugh that made him want to hear it again, anything to hear that sound again. "Garrus has neglected his duties as my bed partner," she replied, trying and failing to school her expression into a mask of professionalism. The smirk on her lips was far too persistent, however, and she merely ended up laughing again.

"Oh?" Shepard arched her back against him and he growled, tightening his arm around her waist as his pelvic plates slid apart. He had to give her credit, she knew exactly how to get to him—probably after testing it all on Vakarian. Well, if she was doing that… "And what, exactly, has he failed to do?"

She squirmed as if to get down, but he kept her pressed snugly between his body and the table, one hand sliding down to grip her hip just above her bent leg. It was… thrilling, almost, to have the great Commander Shepard at his mercy, to have her powerless to escape. Well, he doubted that last part, but she was letting him think it, and that was enough. And—he couldn't help but smile—he had marked her. Not noticeably, mind, but he knew it and she knew it. To have humanity's greatest hero bearing a mark he had given her was doing wonderful things for his pride.

The atmosphere was already charged and Shepard rolled her hips experimentally; Sparatus growled, dropping his mouth to her shoulder again, but refrained from setting his teeth to her skin. She could feel his emerging erection pressed insistently against her and smiled. "Oh, I have a way of being woken up that I've become rather… accustomed to." She shifted her weight forward just enough so he was pressed against her heated core and gasped, meeting his eyes over her shoulder. "It would be a shame to have to go find him when you're already here…"

If he hadn't become an expert on keeping his expression neutral, Sparatus's jaw would have been on the floor. If he was remembering their activities the night before correctly—and he dearly hoped he was—then she should have been far too tired for what she was suggesting, and yet there they were. Then again, human women _were_ resilient. Thinking back to the previous night again, he smiled. Oh yes, _very_ resilient. Wanton and Shepard were two words he never would have ever considered putting together, but there was no other way to describe the way she was looking at him, and he was finding it hard to think of reasons to tell her no.

"And how will your mate react?" he asked quietly, inhaling the scent of her skin and—A low growl rose from him as the scent of her arousal reached his nose, and dipped one hand down between her legs; she was already wet and ready, biting down a moan as the pad of his finger ghosted over her clit.

"His idea to come," she mumbled, bucking her hips into his hand, "Besides, it'll take more than me sleeping with another man to wound Garrus's masculine pride."

"He said that, did he?" He wasn't paying much attention to the words coming out of his mouth at that point, instead focusing on looking for any cue that she was, in fact, attempting to seduce him. Well, not attempting—she had already succeeded—but that she did in fact want what their bodies were both suggesting.

"Mhmm." She made a desperate noise in the back of her throat and let her head fall forward, panting. "Fuck, Tiber, _please_." She wasn't used to being pinned in a rather compromising position, but still it thrilled her, and even after short time he had been touching her, she was already aching with need.

There it was. That was all he needed to hear and his self-control crumbled; he bent her forward with a hand pressed between her shoulder blades and thrust into her sharply, drawing a ragged gasp from Shepard as she planted her hands on the wall in front of her. She strained to thrust back against him, but he growled in quiet warning as he pressed her harder against the table; her foot that had been supporting her weight slid so her legs were spread wider, her toes barely reaching the ground, and he tightened his hold around her. Spirits, the way her body clenched around him, he wasn't sure that be able to keep from doing something… very, very stupid. Yet he couldn't stop himself from trailing his hand up from her hip to her breasts, fondling the sensitive flesh as he bent over her and buried his face against the back of her neck. He itched to set his teeth to her skin again, to mark her again, to have the satisfaction of taking the great Commander Shepard as his, but forced himself to resist; she was not _his_, and—as much as he wanted to think so—he was sure that he only had power in that very moment because she was letting him. He wouldn't make the mistake of underestimating her again. But that didn't mean he wasn't above pressing his advantage. His hand on her back gave him the leverage to keep her still as he withdrew and paused; she whined a wordless plea for him to move as he flexed his talons experimentally against her skin, trailing his tongue along the line of her shoulder. He felt her try to push back against him again and thrust roughly into her.

Shepard threw her head back and cried out—much louder than she had intended—and bit her lip when he slammed into her. The way he held her, almost immobile, made adrenaline course through her; her skin practically tingled and each shift of his body, however small, sent a jolt of pleasure through her. She arched, changing the angle of his thrusts just enough to make stars explode before her eyes. He growled, tightening his grip on her waist, and let his hand leave her back and set it on the wall above her own. The new position let him put more strength into his strokes and oh, the sound she made…

Shepard was only vaguely aware of the muscles in her bent leg beginning to ache as moans and encouragement fell from her lips with little thought. Although, she could probably be reciting the Alliance code of conduct for all he was hearing. And she didn't care; as he pounded into her, she couldn't care less about anything in the galaxy except that it felt amazing.

Sparatus could hear her saying something, but the words weren't clicking in his brain; all he could understand was the desperate, lust-driven tone that made him speed up him rhythm. Her head fell forward again and he found he couldn't resist; it was a sign of submission whether she knew it or not, and he trailed his teeth down her neck. But he didn't move away; instead, he kept his teeth pressed against the delicate skin of her throat and felt her breath hitch as he maintained his pace.

A small thrill of fear ran down her spine as he set his teeth against her neck; she knew turians were predators, and she knew that he could kill her in that position. And that thought made her insides clench deliciously; call her an adrenaline junky, but there was something very hot about knowing her partner was dangerousAnother shiver ran up her spine and she felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise, suddenly getting the feeling that someone was watching her. She forced herself to open her eyes, suddenly nervous, and looked around the room as Sparatus continued to thrust into her. Clear blue eyes caught hers and she felt her mouth go dry.

"Garrus." A particularly well-angled push made her cry out and his low growl mixed with Sparatus's in her ears. The councilor didn't move—didn't release Shepard, and didn't pull out of her body—but turned his gaze to where Shepard's was locked. If he was alarmed or surprised by Garrus's presence, he gave no sign.

"Don't mind me," the younger turian purred, his straining erection already in his hand. "I'll just be over here, enjoying the show."

Oh. Oh! Shepard could hear Sparatus's growl lower as her innermost muscles tightened around him; she'd never thought she was an exhibitionist but… Something about Garrus watching them sent a shot of heat straight to her core. Sparatus rocked into her again and she noted that Garrus thrust into his fist in time with the councilor; her mate's eyes never left her face and she could feel her arousal spiraling out of control. Sparatus's hold on her neck tightened a fraction before he pulled away from her, mumbling curses against her hair as his pace sped up to the point of being frantic and she knew he was coming undone. She could hear Garrus's quiet panting from the side of the room and risked another glance in his direction as her limbs began to tingle; his mandibles were slack and his eyes hooded, and his cock glistened with the shine of his own seed as it slid through his hand.

"Spirits, Shepard, you have no idea what you do to me," he growled, his rhythm faltering slightly as he forced in a wavering breath. Shepard moaned in response, too far gone to manage words; seeing Garrus almost as desperate as the man currently thrusting into her, just at the sight of her bent over a table, her legs spread and a taloned-hand clenching around the back of her neck… She couldn't tear her eyes away from her mate's gaze, and she didn't bother as she trailed one hand down to rub light circles on her clit, searching for that last bit to push her over the edge. Her fingers grazed Sparatus's length as he drove into her again, and he growled, pressing her down harder. But Garrus—her usually composed mate—was losing control at the sight of another man plunging into her, fisting himself in time with Sparatus's thrusts, and that finally sent her over the edge. She cried out as her orgasm washed over her; Sparatus clenched his grip tighter, his talons on her hip biting into the skin as he drove forward and snarling as his own release crashed over him. She could hear Garrus's ragged gasp and Shepard saw the muscles beneath his plates twitching as he reached his own peak. His hand was sticky with his cum when he pulled his hand away and Shepard slumped against the table for support as Sparatus pulled out of her.

"Fucking hell…" was all she could manage as she tried to force her heart to slow and her breath to come evenly. Garrus had moved to stand beside her, wiping his hand on a towel that was hanging over the back of a chair with an apologetic glance towards Sparatus, and lifted her face to look at him; he was smirking and caught her lips for a quick, tender kiss before looking to the councilor.

"I see she enlisted you in my absence," he mused and the elder male scoffed, panting lightly.

"You could say that. I wasn't exactly opposed, either," Sparatus replied with a smile of his own as he rummaged around a dresser. Triumphantly, he withdrew a pair of cream lounge pants and pulled them on.

"I'd be offended if you were," Garrus replied evenly. "Although, I had come up here to tell you I made breakfast, but… Well, this was much more interesting."

Shepard had finally regained her motor function and turned to face the both of them. "Wait, wait… You cooked? As in, food?" Her eyes were sparkling and she stretched her arms upward until the joints in her back cracked. Sparatus looked horrified, but Garrus merely winced as he snapped the plates of his armor back on.

"Contrary to popular assumption," her mate started gruffly, "I can in fact cook. Unlike someone I could name." He gave her a pointed look and she snorted.

"I eat Reapers for breakfast, no cooking required." Her expression was completely serious and Garrus burst out laughing before he could stop himself, and Sparatus soon joined him.

"Right… Sure, Shepard." He wrapped an arm around her waist and she leaned into the contact as he ran his gaze over her critically. "Your shoulders look better."

"Hmm? What's wrong with my shoulders?" She twisted in an effort to see them and Sparatus stared at her with wide eyes. Were humans made of rubber?

"You had some, uh… battlescars after last night." Garrus's eyes darted to the Councilor as he said it and Sparatus tried to look contrite. Tried.

"Huh." Shepard shrugged, still examining her skin. "Well, they're gone now. Good old upgrades!"

Sparatus's brow rose and he crossed his arms; he felt very much like they knew something he didn't, and for some reason it irked him. "Care to explain?" he asked lightly, "Last I checked, humans' skin didn't completely reknit in a few hours."

Shepard made a show of looking like she was thinking about it as she haphazardly threw on her clothes. "That depends…"

"On?"

"Whether you're going to air quote me or listen to me." At his embarrassed expression, Shepard chuckled and Garrus gave her a stern look. "Fine, fine, I'll tell you, but only if we get some of this breakfast that was mentioned. I'm starved."

"Oh, well I wonder why," Garrus drawled sarcastically, prompting Shepard to roll her eyes and smack him across his shoulder. "Ow. See? _This_ is why I stay in the Battery."

"Oh, you big baby, that didn't even hurt you."

Sparatus watched them with a small smile as they made their way back into the open area of his living space. Who knew the two most terrifying soldiers the galaxy had ever known… acted like children. Garrus had scooped Shepard up and carried her the last few steps into the kitchen and she was making a valiant effort to escape. The younger turian sat her on the edge of the counter and pressed their foreheads together with a purr and, to Sparatus's surprise, she cradled his face in her hands and hummed her own quiet equivalent. He suddenly felt as if he were intruding on a private moment… until Shepard stuck her tongue out at him and Garrus rolled his eyes. Thank goodness for that, he supposed.

"Now, where is that breakfast you promised me?" Shepard teased and Garrus laughed, reached backward, and held up a plate of… something. Whatever they were, Shepard squealed and wrapped her arms around his neck. "You are the absolute _greatest_!"

Sparatus watched with some confusion as she hopped off the counter and retreated to the table to wolf at the strange flat bread-things before turning his gaze back to Garrus. "I don't know what those are, but I guess you did well."

The younger turian chuckled. "Pancakes. Human breakfast thing. Shepard's favorite, but we can't get them on the ship. I may have taken the liberty of having groceries delivered here while we were asleep." He smirked and held a similar plate out for Sparatus. "Dextro-safe version. They're actually pretty good."

The councilor regarded the offered "pancakes" skeptically, but finally accepted them. "If these kill me…" Garrus merely laughed and tore off a piece of his own with his claws before popping the morsel into his mouth. Fair enough. The two turians joined Shepard at the table, strewn with reports and datapads that Sparatus had never gotten around to dealing with—he really needed to catch up on his work—and settled down to eat their own breakfasts.

"So, you wanted me to tell you why I'm not still cut up?" she asked between bites.

"Chew your food, Shepard."

"Yeah yeah, _Dad_," she grumbled, but still smiled at her mate. At Sparatus's nod, she set her fork down and cradled her chin in both hands, elbows set on the table. "Ok, well, remember I told you that I died?"

"Are you going to finally tell us what you were actually doing for two years?" he returned dryly. Shepard merely stared levelly at him and Garrus gave the slightest shake of his head.

"I was actually dead. As a door nail. I got spaced; I wasn't in a coma, or in hiding, I was dead. With a capital 'D'." Shepard rubbed the back of her neck absently. "I didn't run off to join Cerberus because I wanted to; they resurrected me. Somehow, they managed to put me back together—with a few extra bits—and bring me back to life." She waited to gauge his reaction, but found only an impassive mask and pressed on. "They implanted me with cybernetic enhancements—skin weaves, bone weaves, that kind of thing—so when I get hurt, I can heal on my own. The intention was that gunshots wouldn't put me out of the action, but I've found it has… other uses." Garrus snorted and she gave him a half-hearted glare. "But, that's the truth."

Sparatus stared at her for a moment, silence stretching on as Shepard waited and he thought. That sounded… ridiculous, yes, but… It made a lot more sense than Commander Shepard running away from her commitments—her crew, her life—to join Cerberus, especially after all of the trouble she'd gone to in exposing them. But resurrection? There was no way… _The scars._ Oh, he remembered that. When she'd returned to the Citadel, the glowing scars on the side of her face had been impossible to miss. Were they… "The scars?" he finally asked quietly.

Shepard instinctively lifted a hand to her cheek. "From the cybernetics." She let her hand drop and shrugged. "Dr. Chakwas keeps saying that my 'positive attitude' minimizes the scarring. I guess if I ever start going bad, it'll show on my face, huh?"

Garrus could see her discomfort growing and took her hand in his, giving it a reassuring squeeze. She turned to him and gave him a small smile; she still didn't know what to make of her resurrection, and talking about being rebuilt like a machine sometimes made her feel inhuman.

But the councilor still gave nothing away on his face. How could he be sure that this was true? How could he ever know? It all sounded so… impossible. _The Reapers had sounded impossible too._ Well, yes… Huh. "I suppose it makes about as much sense as a race of sentient machines coming to wipe us out," he finally said.

"So you believe me?" Shepard asked, uncharacteristically hopeful.

"I'm beginning to realize that believing you is the safest thing I can do, and doing otherwise could end badly for me," Sparatus replied with a wry smile and Shepard laughed, relief showing in her face.

"Touche." She lifted her fork again and pointed it at him. "Maybe there's still hope for you yet." Her eyes sparkled and he scoffed, earning a smile from Garrus. They ate in relative silence until Shepard's omnitool began beeping and she excused herself with a grimace.

"So…"

"Yeah."

The two men watched each other carefully for a moment, sizing each other up, almost.

"I appreciate that you're willing to believe her about that. It was… hard, having so many people doubt her," Garrus finally said, "After everything she had done and given up, it hurt her to think that no one believed her."

Sparatus allowed a small smile to slip through. "I never wanted to doubt her—after she saved myself and the other councilors, I realized I may have misjudged her—but knowing what we did… Which, in hindsight was next to nothing." He gave a small shake of his head. "I had no choice."

"I understand. When she came to find me, I thought I had lost my mind…"

Shepard's voice interrupted their conversation and both looked up sharply to watch her.

Shepard opened the comm on her omnitool and sighed. "Yes, Joker?"

"Commander! You're alive, that's great… So… Any reason you and Garrus aren't on the ship? I mean… You two usually spend leave on board doing… things…"

"Joker, the point?"

"Well, I mean, it's just weird, ya know? I'm not used to you not hovering. And no one's calibrating the gun! Oh, and EDI says we should be clear for departure by 1000." There was a brief pause before he added. "I hear Garrus, but who's the other guy? Is that why you aren't here?"

Shepard could have punched him at that moment, a blush rising to her face. "Remember that talk we had about what's ok to ask about, and what's private, Lieutenant?" she ground out.

"Yeah… So who is he?"

"Does EDI know you gossip like an old woman, Joker?"

"Psh… Probably. So, who is he? And since Garrus is there, I assume everyone is consenting and—"

"Joker!" She heard the two men stop talking and glanced sheepishly over her shoulder. Damn it. A quick glance told her the time and she sighed. "Tell EDI we'll be back in an hour. Shepard out." With that, she cut the call and turned to face the two turians again. From the slight droop in her mate's expression, she knew he'd heard; she was sure she looked just as reluctant to go. With a weary sigh, she said, "We've got to be heading back…"

Sparatus gave a slow nod. "I understand."

For a moment, no one said anything and Shepard sagged back against the wall. In that second, she looked more exhausted than Garrus had ever seen her and he stood to lay a comforting hand on her shoulder. She managed a sad smile and forced herself to stand. It occurred to the councilor that as soon as they walked out his door, the stresses and pressures of their mission would come crashing back in; after the short reprieve they'd had, there was no way of knowing when they would have an opportunity to relax again. That upset him far more than he ever would have thought and he found himself speaking before he had thought about it; he had no idea what Shepard thought about the previous night's encounter—whether it was a single occurrence as it would be in turian culture or something else—but, he couldn't let them walk out and back to the war without at least offering them a sanctuary, of sorts.

"You're both more than welcome to return any time you're on the Citadel," he said, more than willing to open his apartment up to them once again—the guest bedroom was more than comfortable and would be a welcome change from the sleeping quarters on a starship; not to mention he would immensely enjoy more conversations between himself and the two soldiers—no doubt, much more interesting than anything his Spirits-awful mistress would talk about. But, he paused, realizing what they must have taken his offer as, and tried to backtrack when he saw Shepard raise a brow, a mischievous smile pulling at her lip. "That is, if you would like. To relax, have space away from your crew…" He stopped himself then, watching as Shepard's eyes crinkled in a genuine smile and Garrus's mandibles flared out slightly. If he was being honest with himself, he would have been more than happy to welcome them back into his home for another night like the one they'd just shared. And, if the way they were both watching him was any indication, they seemed to be on the same page—at least, he hoped they were. And so, he let the offer stand as it was, waiting for their response.

Shepard and Garrus shared a look and both smiled. "We'd like that," she finally said, turning her smile to the councilor and he let out a long breath, visibly relieved.

"Good. Excellent… Well, I suppose I shouldn't keep you then…"

Garrus shook his head with a smile and Shepard laughed lightly. "We should be back soon—we'll need supplies, and I'm sure _someone_ will have some errand only _I_ can do…" She rolled her eyes and Garrus gave her shoulders and affectionate squeeze. "Anyway, we should be going but…" She moved to stand in front of where he was seated and pulled him up out of his chair. Without warning, she wrapped her arms around his waist, her head tucked under his chin. A startled warble escaped him and he tentatively put his arms around her, looking to her mate for guidance. Garrus merely looked on with a smile as she leaned back just enough to look up at him. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"Making me feel like a person again." She rose on her toes and pressed her lips to his cheek, and then again on his mouth. He held her there for a moment, happily letting her tongue explore his until she pulled back. He looked instinctively to her mate and Garrus chuckled.

"I don't think I can beat that goodbye," he mused and Sparatus couldn't help his chuckle. "But…" He pulled the older man into a rough embrace, ducking his head down to nip at Sparatus's neck. The councilor purred deep in his chest and Garrus pulled away with a satisfied smile. "Until we get back."

Shepard had stepped away and cued up her messages, scrolling through the usual mix of spam, news, and actual correspondence. One message, though, stood out and she read it twice just to be sure before turning her attention back to the two turians before her. They were watching her intently and she blushed under their combined attentions. "Well…" She coughed quietly. "We should be going, then." As one, they all moved toward the door; Garrus stepped into the hallway, but Shepard paused in the doorway and looked back to Sparatus. "You should probably do something about Din Korlack." With that, she gave a final wave, and they strode back toward the elevator, leaving a smug—but now confused—Sparatus behind.

What did she mean about the volus ambassador?

* * *

**Hope you guys are still enjoying it!**


	6. Lessons Learned

**Holy shit, I'm actually updating something. Whaaaaaat?! Junior year of college is fucking ridiculous. Damn thesis. ANYWHO, I finally finished writing something, YAY!**

**Greenyoda987 is the BEST. Seriously, she got a new job after hosting me in her apartment and STILL made time to sort out my shit. If you're going to thank anyone, thank her!**

* * *

Sparatus stared at his office without seeing it. It seemed… lonely, after all of the weeks he had spent working from his apartment. It had become a sanctuary, a haven when the _Normandy_ came to dock; sometimes they just talked, others the two soldiers were too exhausted to do anything other than sleep through their entire leave, and still others were spent… learning. About each other, how to please, how to tease… how to love. No, no, he kept telling himself the last one was only in his mind. Only ever in his mind… Still, it hadn't stopped him from politely informing his mistress that their relationship would not be turning as serious as she seemed to hope and it would be best if they went their separate ways. She'd screamed, cried, thrown things… Promised he'd never find someone to care for him as she did. And he sincerely hoped not. He had two people who "took care of him" far better than she ever had, and he actually savored their company. Savored, and missed it, as he did now. He sighed quietly and turned back to the remaining forms on his desk. Shepard had been called away to help with some fuel depot on Cyone weeks ago—and Garrus had been dutifully keeping him informed of their travels—but it had been too long since anyone had heard from her or the _Normandy_; the depot shouldn't have kept them for this long… But, the solitary days and nights had given him plenty of time to catch up the piles of work and proposals that required his attention. And now he found himself wondering again: what had she meant about the volus ambassador? As they were a client race of the Turian Hierarchy, it made sense she would bring up concerns with the volus to him, yet he couldn't for the life of him figure out why she would mention it. The way she said it, he couldn't help but feel that there was something very important he didn't know. She wouldn't willingly deceive him, not after she'd gone to the trouble of ensuring the turian refugees' safety. But what… Could the ambassador be hiding something? Even if he was, how to proceed…

The intercom on his desk buzzed and he opened the line. "Yes?"

"Ambassador Korlack has arrived, sir."

"Thank you, Valencia. Send him in." Damn… _Shepard, why couldn't you give me more than this…_ He schooled his expression into cool disinterest and pretended to be engrossed in the papers on his desk. Traffic reports, mostly. So many more refugees… Soon there wouldn't be room for them all…

The light hiss of air alerted him to the doors opening and he could see the volus enter from the periphery of his vision. Korlack strode in with a bravado that looked extremely odd, but it faltered when Sparatus fixed him with an icy stare. Oh?

"You… wished to see me?" Korlack stammered, wringing his hands as he wheezed. "Sir?"

"Yes… I did…" The volus fidgeted and Sparatus looked back to his papers. Intentionally brusque was a method of interaction that had served him very well as he'd advanced politically. It put off those who were not worth his time, and incensed those who were. Korlack was proving to be the former, but the way he turned his head this way and that, as if checking the room, confirmed his theory: the volus had something to hide. After a brief pause he sighed. "Did you really think I wouldn't find out, Din?" He sounded disappointed, yes, but there was also an edge of barely hidden anger. Shepard wouldn't have brought it up to him if it wasn't something important. She knew the stakes.

Korlack withered under his level glare. "Shepard told you?"

Sparatus laughed. "Of course she did, she's a Spectre. Did you really think a Spectre wouldn't report back to the _Council_? To _me_?!" He shook his head slowly and folded his hands on top of his desk. "But I want to hear it from you." Ah, the guilty conscience… Those not skilled enough in deceit were so quick to confess, even under the lightest pressure. Korlack had cracked with little incentive and it made him wonder just what it was Shepard had caught him doing. Embezzling? Taking bribes?

"I… I never meant for any of this to happen… At the time, Cerberus were the only ones doing anything about the Reapers, but… Then they started killing people, and… I couldn't get away from them."

Cerberus? His brow lowered and his hands clenched and unclenched rhythmically. "Go on."

Korlack was shaking, tottering from foot to foot. "They threatened me, said that I couldn't cut ties with them now… The Hierarchy put a price on my head when they suspected I was still connected with Cerberus, so I gave them a colony in hopes they would protect me. But…" He held his arms opened and sighed. "A pair of bounty hunters captured me and I was worried they would kill me. Shepard stopped them, but when she found out…"

Sparatus said nothing, hands shaking from barely pent up rage. The cowardly little suit rat! Everything the Hierarchy had done for his people and he offered their innocents up as tribute?! His mandibles were tight to his face, jaw stiff as the volus prattled on.

"I never thought it would come to that. I tried to cut ties with Cerberus, I did, but… They're hard to get away from."

"Of course they are. What the hell did you expect from Cerberus?!" Sparatus finally burst out. "They only care about humanity, and their intentions are hardly noble and neither are their methods. You saw what Shepard uncovered about them years ago."

"But they stopped the Collectors!"

"No, _Shepard_ stopped the Collectors, Cerberus wanted to _use_ them." Shepard's debriefing had been turned over to the Council when they reinstated her Spectre status for a second time, following the invasion of Earth; the Illusive Man's interest in the… Reaper embryo had been unsurprising, but nonetheless troubling. "Who do you think would have protected you when Cerberus came knocking again? The Hierarchy? The humans? You've allied yourself with an enemy only outmatched in their ruthlessness by the Reapers. We are at _war_ and you're gambling with the lives of my people?!" He was standing now, towering over his desk and the volus who had the good sense to look frightened.

"B-but Shepard warned the colony! I tried to offer her fleets instead, for the war, but she refused. She demanded that I tell her that Aephus was the target. I had heard that Primarch Victus ordered the fleets to garrison the colony's defenses!"

Was that supposed to console him? Sparatus's eyes narrowed. "You endangered one of our largest shipping ports to save your skin?!" Korlack flinched and the councilor scowled. "Do you realize that you could have destroyed the partnership between our peoples, if this had gotten out? The Hierarchy would demand an end to volus clientship and you and your people would be left defenseless in the middle of a war. Is that what you want?!" When Korlack said nothing, Sparatus fell back into his chair. "Get out of my sight," he finally spat, "and consider yourself lucky you're not charged with treason." After a pause, he added, "I want your office empty and you off the Citadel by tomorrow. Inform the Protectorate that you will be needing a replacement; tell them whatever you want, but you will no longer be the ambassador."

There was a moment of silence as that sank in and Sparatus raised a brow as it stretched on. Korlack finally seemed to regain his senses, though, and quickly left, leaving the turian councilor alone in his office.

How could no one have known about this? A connection with Cerberus was not something that is easy to hide… And the colony… Spirits, if Shepard hadn't been so damned incorruptible… His debt to that woman was growing, and fast, almost as much as his admiration. But he was thankful and, he mused, that it was largely due in part to her stubborn devotion to galactic peace. Perhaps he would send her a bottle of wine when the ship returned…

"Sir?"

He started, lost in his thoughts and scrambled to hit the intercom. "Yes, yes, what is it?"

"There are reports of gunfire from the top of the Presidium arch, sir, and Spectre Shepard's omnitool signature is present."

Shepard? She was back on the Citadel? And… firing guns? Of course she was… Of course she was breaking the rules, and no doubt Vakarian was with her. Hell, it was probably his idea, the insubordinate hothead… He'd missed them, he realized again, and chuckled.

"Thank you, Valencia, I think I'll take care of it myself, see if we can't avoid any more incidents today."

He could hear the smile in his assistant's voice. "Of course, sir."

* * *

Garrus looped an arm around her waist as she pouted and chuckled. "There, there. I know there are… other things you're good at." His eyes sparkled as he said it, a low purr emanating from his chest. His lecherous grin made her laugh and she hefted the rifle up against her shoulder.

"Oh yeah?" she murmured, turning her face up to his and leaning toward him until they were mere inches apart. "Maybe you need a demonstration…"

Garrus pulled her tightly to him and pressed their mouths together with an urgency she hadn't seen since the night before their journey through the Omega-4 Relay. Not that she was complaining… She hummed in appreciation and snaked her free arm around his neck, parting her lips just enough to let his tongue explore her mouth. One arm around her back tightened as the other hand snaked up to tangle in her hair. A light tug and she tilted her head back, his tongue and teeth trailing down her throat, and she gasped.

"Never again," he growled against her skin and she whimpered, her fingers finding the sensitive hide below his fringe. "The next time Aria asks you for help, and that you go alone, you say no."

She knew that he had been less-than-thrilled with her decision to help Omega's ousted queen retake her precious rock, but Aria had fleets, and fleets were something Shepard needed, something the Crucible needed. Giving Aria her throne back seemed like a small price to pay in exchange for help against the Reapers. But it wasn't helping Aria that had bothered him, it was the fact that she had gone alone. She had gone alone, fought alone—for the most part—and nearly died alone because of Aria's damned thirst for revenge.

"Had to," she finally managed as he lifted his head to look at her. His eyes burned into hers and she licked her lips absently. "But I promise. No more running off alone."

"Good, because you and I… We're in this together, Shepard." His hand on her back flexed, talons digging into her skin lightly through the fabric of her command fatigues. She arched and let the rifle fall from her already-lax grip with a dull clatter; she pulled his head back down, tangling her tongue with his in a way that left them both panting when they parted again. Somewhere along the way, she'd ended up with one leg hitched up toward his hip, and his armored thigh had ended up pressed against her core in _just_ the right way that left her gasping. Neither seemed to notice as a skycar pulled up alongside the one they had arrived in, nor did they seem aware of the door opening and the driver getting out.

"I should have known that the 'two hooligans shooting garbage off the top of the Presidium' would be you two."

Both scrambled to disengage themselves from the other before looking toward the speaker. Shepard smiled and Garrus laughed, their arms still loosely wrapped around each other.

"You can blame the king of the bottle shooters over here," Shepard joked, giving Garrus an affectionate squeeze, "it was his idea." With a sparkle in her eye, she lowered her voice to an exaggerated whisper that did nothing to conceal what she was saying, "Don't let him put up a statue to commemorate his victory, it'll go right to his head."

Garrus growled and ducked his head to nip playfully at her neck again. "Not every day one gets to best Commander Shepard," he murmured between bites.

Sparatus chuckled, watching in unveiled amusement. "And afterward?"

Shepard shrugged, her gaze meeting his shamelessly as her mate teased her. "Make up sex?"

That earned a surprised bark of laughter and Garrus hummed his agreement.

"I see. Well, since I can't have a Spectre causing an incident with C-Sec, I'll have to detain the both of you until further notice. You _are_ breaking quite a few rules… Though with you two, I have no doubt that was the point."

Shepard just smiled brightly, but Garrus was listening to what wasn't being overtly said. He knew those subtones… And he liked where they were going. His voice was a low rumble when he finally spoke. "And what are you going to do with us?"

Ah, good. Sparatus gave them a smug smile. "I'm sure I'll think of something. But, I must insist you return with me at once to await your… punishment."

Shepard twisted so Garrus was now at her back and held out her arms, wrists bared. "Talk like that I'll happily let you take me away," she said with a sultry grin and Garrus rumbled his agreement, hands sliding down to grip her hips.

"I had hoped you would say that." Sparatus gestured toward his own car with a sweep of his arm and—after the remains of their contest were gathered—Shepard and Garrus followed. As Shepard settled into the backseat, Sparatus cast a glance over his shoulder. "Thank you, by the way. Ambassador Korlack was kind enough to inform me of his… mistake. It appears I owe you my thanks for ensuring the safety of Aephus."

Garrus stared at them both, bewildered. "Aephus? What happened to Aephus?"

Shepard patted his shoulder. "Primarch Victus had sent me a message that he was concerned about a leak. And things just happened… Point is, everybody's safe because Victus got the fleet there in time to send Cerberus packing."

"She's being modest. We never would have known if she hadn't properly chastised the cowardly son of a—"

"Hey now! Aren't you supposed to be all politically correct and what not?" Shepard cut him off, grinning and Garrus just shook his head. It was so like her… Save tons of people, be thanked, wave it off like it was nothing and she really didn't do anything to be thanked for. Of course she did, she always did. She'd saved thousands of lives, and she played it off like it was a casual favor. Ridiculous woman.

"That _is_ 'politically correct', as you put it. He deserves far worse than he's getting, but we're at war and it's not worth the bureaucratic fall out at a time like this to have him charged with treason." Sparatus kept his eyes on the space ahead of him as he drove between the towers of the Presidium. "But make no mistake, Shepard, you've done a great thing for my people—again—and I'm not inclined to forget it."

"Does this mean I'm not getting punished?"

Garrus guffawed and turned to glare half-heartedly at her, but she just grinned. "I'm sure we can still manage that if you really want it."

* * *

Their journey back up to Sparatus's apartment was only interrupted by the spontaneous need to reacquaint themselves with each other's anatomy and having to get on and off the elevator; when they did finally arrive, clothes were shed with little to no attention to their final resting place: Shepard's shirt ended up in the kitchen somehow, Garrus's chestplate on the couch, and Sparatus's pants were draped over the back of a chair. They were all bare by the time they reached the bedroom and their tangle of limbs crashed onto the bed.

Sparatus pulled back from Shepard's seeking hand and she huffed out a breath, scrambling to her knees to crawl after him. "Where're you going?" A smile was pulling at her lip but Garrus seemed to sense the councilor's intent and caught her before she made it to the edge of the bed. She squeaked and turned to look at him, but he just purred in response.

"Nowhere. But I believe you have yet to be punished…" He cradled her face in his hand, thumb gently stroking over her cheek. She would be able to handle this, wouldn't she? Commander Shepard had never met a challenge she couldn't overcome, she had never backed down. And yet… "If you tell me to stop, I will."

Shepard leaned into his touch. Hm… What did he mean by that? Garrus ran his talons lightly down her back and she gasped, arousal tingling between her legs. "I trust you," she finally breathed, "Both of you."

Sparatus nodded slowly. "Very well." He slid his hand to the back of her head, took a firm hold of her hair and tugged. She inhaled sharply through her teeth and let him pull her head back, shifting her position so she was kneeling on the bed, her hands pressed against his chest for balance. Garrus traced the curve of her waist, trailing feather-light scratches along her ribs as he scooted up behind her. Sparatus gave him a quiet growl; this was his show, he was in command this time. The younger turian met his eyes defiantly for a moment before rumbling his acquiescence. "Shepard, Shepard, Shepard," the councilor finally murmured, lowering his mouth to ghost along her neck. Her breathing hitched and he chuckled. "One day you'll learn to follow the rules. To follow orders." He punctuated his statement with a rough bite just above her shoulder and she shuddered, mouth falling open in a silent cry. Ah, he liked being in charge. Holding power over galactic government, holding the fate of so many… He had become used to it. But it was always Tevos's calming voice in his ear: "We have to negotiate" "There must be another way" "Caution is our safest course of action". No, he did not live in half-measures. Everything he did was done one hundred percent or not at all. For once, if felt good to hold the power and wield it as it was meant to be used. Garrus made a move as if to slip a hand between her legs but Sparatus slapped it away gently. "It seems the both of you need to learn. Not to worry, Vakarian, I haven't forgotten you. But, I do require your… assistance."

Garrus looked up at him from over Shepard's shoulder, a small thrill running through him. For all he had chaffed under orders and regulations, this was… different. Shepard twisted just enough to see him out of the corner of her eye and he could feel his plates beginning to part. Something about the way Sparatus held her, bent back and vulnerable was incredibly arousing. "What do you need me to do?"

"Do exactly—" He emphasized the single word with a low growl that made both of them shiver "—as I tell you, and nothing more. Understood?"

"Yessir."

"Excellent." He could see the curiosity in Shepard's eyes and smiled. Ah, this was new, then. Good. "You both could learn a little something about obedience. Vakarian, on your feet." The command seemed to confuse him and Garrus was slow to comply; Sparatus sighed and took a firm grip of the younger man's fringe, dragging him to his feet. "You'll learn," he purred as Garrus fidgeted against the uncomfortably submissive position he found himself in. A small growl escaped him and Sparatus tutted quietly. The alpha male didn't like being challenged, hm? Ah, they would see about that. He let Shepard relax and absently caressed the side of her face, tracing the line of her lips with his thumb. "Shepard, does Garrus like your mouth?" She blinked at him in confusion and he sighed. "On him. When you use it on him, would you say he enjoys it?"

She licked her lips absently and nodded slowly. "Yes."

"Yes…?" he prompted.

"Yes, sir?"

"Good girl." Sparatus turned his gaze back to Garrus but continued to address Shepard. "And how much would you say he enjoys it?" Garrus's gaze darkened just enough to give the answer away, yet still Sparatus waited.

"I…"

"Speak up, Shepard." He could see Garrus's plates already opened, his erection already twitching in anticipation. Good.

"I don't know."

Sparatus fixed Garrus with a stern look that very clearly said "Don't move" before addressing her again. "When I ask you a question," he purred as he trailed one talon down the center of her torso, "I expect—" Without warning he thrust one finger inside of her, his thumb circling her clit, and she let out a sound that was half gasp and half moan. "—a proper answer."

Taking orders was not something Shepard had done for years; once she'd been promoted up to officer, no one really commanded her anymore—polite suggestions and requests, yes, but no one outright ordered her around—yet her body was more responsive to Sparatus's stern commands than it had any right to be. And she found that she liked it far more than she thought she would. She was vaguely aware that he was waiting for his "proper answer", but she couldn't seem to force the words out of her mouth. Instead, a low whimper escaped her and she tried to press her hips further into his hand, seeking just a _bit_ more, but the finger was withdrawn and she bit down a groan at the sudden retreat.

"Oh my. I suppose if you can't follow directions, you'll have to be punished." And yet he didn't sound the least bit upset about this fact. With a movement that seemed far too practiced, Sparatus bent her over his outstretched forearm, picking her up by her waist and settling her on his lap so she was bent over his knee, her face level with her mate's waiting arousal. "Now, Shepard, you are going to show me just how much Garrus likes your mouth on him," he informed her, palming the soft skin of her ass as he spoke. "And Garrus…" He chuckled. "You will count for me. But do _not_ cum until I tell you to."

Don't…? Garrus stared, not quite comprehending that. How could he not… If she was… Did Sparatus know how _hard_ that was? Shepard's lips closed around his length and all conscious thought left him as a low growl built in his chest. Oh, fuck it.

Sparatus's palm slapped down onto the flesh he had been fondling only a second before and Shepard yelped—as well as she could with her mouth around Garrus's cock—and the councilor waited. "Well?" he finally prompted, turning his attention from Shepard's ass to the younger turian, raising one brow in expectation.

Garrus scrambled. He was supposed to do something… while Shepard was sucking him off. Oh, Spirits, if she kept doing that he would never remember… He could feel her tongue pressed against the head as she pulled back and grabbed onto her shoulder instinctively. Count! Fuck, count what?

"One…" he finally forced out, mandibles twitching as Shepard's mouth slid down to fully envelope him again.

"Good."

Another slap and Shepard moaned around him and _oh fuck_, he wasn't going to last. He forced his eyes open, only to be greeted by the sight of Sparatus examining Shepard's steadily reddening ass.

"Two…"

Sparatus couldn't help but grin. So, Garrus could be taught. He watched the younger male's expression—which was locked on to how Sparatus's hands gently caressed the flesh of Shepard's ass—as he brought his hand up again, bringing it down on the woman's rear; Garrus's eyes followed the path of Sparatus's hand, his mandibles flaring in lust as the councilor's hand made contact. Shepard groaned again, sending a delicious vibration up Garrus's cock as Sparatus caressed her flesh with his knuckles.

"Three," Garrus growled, his talons clenching rhythmically into his mate's shoulder as her head bobbed up and down on his cock. Spirits, he couldn't believe he wasn't watching as her mouth worked him—any other time, he wouldn't have been able to tear his eyes away—but the sight of her ass bouncing after each slap of Sparatus's hand… the sight of her red flesh in the hands of another male, the sight of her actually submitting to someone…

Shepard wasn't sure when being manhandled had become something she wanted but now she was practically shaking in anticipation of each slap, and the pleasant warmth between her legs had become an almost unbearable _need_. Another smack and she pulled back from her mate, a low cry escaping her before falling into muttered curses.

"I don't believe I told you to stop, Shepard," Sparatus reminded her, his hand trailing down from her ass to tease her slit. Upon finding her already wet and panting, he chuckled. "Is that all it takes to break you, Shepard? I expected more of a challenge." Garrus couldn't help but groan as the scent reached his nose and Sparatus chuckled. "Well, Shepard? I don't believe you're finished."

She took a long breath and Garrus could see the flush in her cheeks. Spirits, if he had known she would like something like this… Her mouth closed around him again and he bit down a snarl. Another blow made her suck harder and he felt his knees beginning to weaken as he desperately tried to remember what number they were on.

"F—"

Sparatus seemed to sense that he had lost count, but even more he could see all the signs of impending orgasm and pulled Shepard back by her hips. Garrus's cock came free with an audible pop and his breath escaped him in a rush; he planted a hand on the edge of the bed for support and tried to slow his heart.

"Please, I can't—" Garrus keened, his talons clenching into the soft bed to keep himself from reaching down and stroking his aching shaft.

"Not yet," Sparatus cut him off with a mischievous glint in his eye. "Now, Shepard, have you learned your lesson?" he asked, turning his attention to the woman who was now perched on his lap, her back to him. At her wordless nod, he smiled. "And how does she like you to fuck her, Garrus?"

Garrus forced his eyes away from Shepard's face—away from the desperation in her expression, away from the pink flash of her hot tongue as she licked her lips, her eyes hooded in desire—and turned his gaze to the older man. Sparatus was watching him expectantly, his hands trailing lazy circles on Shepard's hips as she let her head loll back, resting it on Sparatus's shoulder and exposing her neck to both of them. Garrus's gaze shifted and he suppressed a growl as he watched the muscles in his mate's throat move as she swallowed, wishing he was still in her mouth and those muscles were sucking him dry. A low rumble reminded him of Sparatus's question and he looked back to other man, trying to formulate a response.

"She..." Garrus groaned and swallowed, trying to get the words out. "She likes it when I pin her." He watched as Shepard subconsciously arched her back, her hips rhythmically grinding against Sparatus's thigh, her chest heaving with each breath. Sparatus purred and trailed his hands up her sides, talons flexing against her ribs.

Sparatus ran his tongue along the side of her neck, appreciating that, while she may not know it, her position was complete surrender. She trembled as he trailed his mouth down to her shoulder. "And?" he prompted with a low rumble. His hands wandered up to cradle her breasts and Garrus realized he wanted to be the one doing that.

"And… And she likes being taken hard, and fast. She likes my teeth against her neck, my…" His words faltered and he had to rein himself back in; just thinking about it was threatening to push him over the precarious edge he'd been left on. "My talons against her skin." God, he was so close…

Sparatus hummed his acknowledgement and lifted his gaze from Shepard to regard her mate levelly. "And how rough does she like it?"

Shepard's eyes flickered to Garrus as he remained silent for a moment, mandibles twitching. Before, he would have known exactly how to answer that; she liked it rough, liked being treated as he would a turian woman but now… watching her with the councilor, he wasn't sure. How rough _did_ she liked it? How much had he been missing by holding back? "I don't know."

Sparatus sighed and lifted Shepard from his lap, pushing her onto her knees on the mattress. "I see you'll have to learn the same lesson as Shepard. Proper. Answers." He pressed her shoulders down to the bed, but kept her hips high and ran his talons down her spine. "Pay attention." Satisfied he had the young man's attention, he reached down and knotted his hand in Shepard's hair and thrust into her sharply. She cried out, arching back as he kept a firm, taut grip on her hair; if he kept doing that, she wasn't going to be able to hold out. Her body tightened and he rocked into her again. "Don't cum, Shepard," he growled, bent close to her ear. He straightened and fixed his eyes on Garrus. "Observe." He gave her hair a tug and she propped herself on her elbows to relax the pressure on her scalp, a low whine in the back of her throat. When he thrust into her again, her moan was half a scream and he picked up a punishing pace that had her begging. Yet he stopped as soon as he had started and stepped back. "Now, how rough does she like it?"

Shepard slumped forward, her forehead resting on the side of her fist and panted. She could feel every beat of her heart in every inch of her body, her core mourning the loss of contact; she was so desperately close, yet he had left her wanting. _Don't cum… Dammit, just… breathe,_ she told herself, trying to take deep breaths, yet she couldn't seem to calm the hammering of her heart. Her body trembled as she waited, unmoving.

Garrus watched her, noting the sudden tension across her shoulders and realized in that short time, she had been pushed just as close to the brink as he was. "Very," he forced out, willing his body to relax even just a little.

"Show me."

Garrus looked up at him sharply and Sparatus nodded toward Shepard, a silent indication that he was supposed to show what he had learned. And he was supposed to fuck her without finishing? The man had to be mad… Yet he still stepped forward, tracing the red three-fingered hand print on his mate's skin. "Spirits, Shepard…" His voice was barely above a growl and she looked up at him over her shoulder. He could see the barely contained lust in her eye and took a handful of her hair just as the councilor had; after only a second of hesitation, he sheathed himself completely inside of her, pulling back on her hair, and she moaned, biting down on her lip. As soon as he'd entered her, Garrus found himself teetering on the edge again, so dangerously close to losing control, and Sparatus seemed to sense it.

"Not until I tell you."

And when would that be? Shepard was panting, trying to keep her orgasm at bay, yet with every one of her mate's thrusts, her resolve was coming undone. It was becoming harder and harder to hold back and she forced her eyes shut as her core began to tighten. Garrus could feel it as he bent forward over her, swearing against her shoulder as he drove into her, his own peak threatening to overtake him. Every push was shakier than the last, his grip faltering with every crack in his control.

"Please…" Shepard finally begged, gasping. God, she couldn't keep this up. She was so close…

Sparatus moved then, pushing Garrus forward and holding him there, forcing him to still, yet leaving him trapped in the exquisite warmth of the pliant woman beneath him. Shepard whimpered and tried to push back against him, seeking that last bit of friction, yet neither could find the leverage to move. It was torture, pure exquisite torture, and neither had the sense or desire to end it.

"Tell me how she feels."

That wasn't fair. Garrus released his hold on her hair and she slumped forward, her arms shaking under her weight, yet she didn't dare try to move again. She could feel him, hot and hard and deep inside of her, and she was _so_ close… Garrus bit down a growl as her body tightened and relaxed rhythmically around him, threatening to finish him then and there.

"Hot… and tight… and… Oh, fucking hell," He squeezed his eyes shut and forced down a breath, desperately clinging to the last shreds of his sanity. "She feels like she could wring every last drop out of you. Like she never wants you to leave." She shifted her body to ease the pressure on her knees and he grabbed her hips to stop her. "Fuck, Shepard." The slightest movement would surely do him in, and he could see spots beginning to dance before his eyes.

"And how does he feel?"

Shepard tried to take a deep breath, yet every movement, even the tiny motion of breathing, sent jolts of pleasure through her, intense to the point of pain. Yet her body was thrumming, tingling with built up need and pent up pleasure. Surely when he finally let her cum, she would burst. Yet she forced the answer from her mouth, her voice shaking as she did, "He fills every last inch of me and… And I can feel all of it." She had to stop, had to force down a few gasping breaths as his member twitched within her. Her body clenched as his talons flexed against her hip and she bit down a moan. "I can't… Please, I'm so fucking close."

And boy, did Sparatus know it, yet he moved slowly, deliberately, to kneel in front of Shepard, his manhood still glistening from when he had taken her so forcefully. "Not yet, but soon," he purred, caressing her cheek gently. "Be a dear and take care of this for me?"

Two sets of eyes stared at him in obvious dismay, but neither had the remaining strength to protest, or refuse. Instead, Shepard did as he asked, taking him into her mouth and working him with her tongue. Every suck sent a small tremor of exhaustion through her, as if soon her strength would run out, and she wouldn't be able to hold off her climax any longer.

Every bob of her head had her leaning forward, flexing her hips _just_ enough to leave Garrus gasping, and his grip on her hip shifted up to the narrow dip of her waist, angry red trails blossoming in the wake of his hand, yet he didn't see; he couldn't look away as her mouth slid down over the councilor's shaft. Spirits, he couldn't last if she didn't finish, and soon; every shift, every suck, every movement made him want to beg, and yet he forced himself to hold back. _Just a little bit longer_, he kept telling himself, _just hold on a little bit longer._

The second her lips closed around him, Sparatus let his head fall back, eyes closed. Spirits, that felt amazing… And while yes, he _had_ been a bit… strict, the whole time he had been denying them, he had also been denying himself. And that fact was threatening to do him in. With a quiet groan, he threaded his fingers through Shepard's hair and pulled her forward until her mouth covered every inch of him; he could feel her throat flex around him as he held her there and it took an immense amount of self-control not to end it right then. No, no, they were going to do this right. He let her ease back, but only enough to breathe. Her mouth never left him and he looked up at the low keen coming from her mate.

"Garrus, look at me," he growled, and the younger male's eyes snapped up to his. "Not yet, _look at me._" He could see the younger man's mandibles beginning to flare, his breath coming in short pants as the sound in his chest grew in volume. He wouldn't last much longer, and Sparatus was sure Shepard was just as close. His own breathing was becoming ragged and he clung desperately to his dwindling control. Spirits, how had Vakarian held out this long? "Wait for my… mark, wait…" He forced down a breath as Shepard gave his cock a particularly enthusiastic suck. Oh, hell…. "Three…" he forced out after a breath. "Two…" A low groan escaped him and his grip shifted to cradle the back of Shepard's head. "One." The final word was barely a hiss as the she drew his climax out of him.

Garrus watched the councilor's head fall back, euphoria washing over him as he bucked forward into his mate's quivering body, finally letting lose the unstoppable tide that had been building within him. He snarled, leaning over her as he filled her with his hot seed and trailed his tongue down her spine.

Shepard moaned around Sparatus's cock, swallowing his cum as he found his completion in her mouth, but it was Garrus's final, desperate stroke that did her in. Stars exploded before her eyes and she arched, finally releasing the councilor to let out a ragged scream. She could feel every part of her humming with delight, every pulse of pleasure-fueled ecstasy through her over-sensitized core; her innermost muscles clenched like a vice and she could feel every twitch of her mate within her as his tongue left a trail of fire down her spine. She slumped forward, gasping, as Garrus retreated and flopped down beside her.

Sparatus had settled back against the pillows, panting as the two soldiers slowly recovered. Shepard moved first, crawling the few feet to sprawl across his lower half, her cheek against his stomach as she lay, boneless. Garrus followed soon after, curling up against the older man's side with a protective hand on his mate's shoulder.

For several minutes, no one spoke, and the only sound was their combined breathing as they willed their hearts to slow. Shepard found herself lost in thought as she basked in the afterglow of what was, arguably, her greatest orgasm. Why had they gone along with it? What would have stopped them from just fucking each other to climax instead of obeying Sparatus's torture? In hindsight, it had been _worth it_, but how could they have known? She could have said no the first time he'd spanked her, but she hadn't. Garrus could have said no the first time Sparatus had told him not to cum. Yet neither of them had. All she could think was that, for all they'd been through and put up with it was… liberating to let someone else call the shots. And they trusted him. In such a short time, Tiber Sparatus had become a trusted ally, a friend… a lover. She snuggled against his plated abdomen and he stroked her hair absently. This was something she could get used to.

Garrus was similarly preoccupied, his head pillowed on the older turian's shoulder; they were both purring contentedly, yet Garrus was completely at ease while Sparatus cast curious glances between his bed partners, as if he wasn't sure why they had remained. Did he not realize how fully he'd become a part of them? Did _they_? Spirits, he didn't know when it had happened, but he had found himself missing the older man, and he knew Shepard had too. But did Shepard know just how deep her feelings were? Did he? What would it mean for them?

Sparatus stroked Shepard's hair gently, relishing the feel of the silken strands between his fingers. He had expected them—one of them, at least—to stop him, and yet they hadn't. As she sprawled between his knees, he could still see his hand print on the still-reddened globe of her ass, the scratches on her hips and back, and yet she looked utterly content, _happy_ even. And Garrus… The young male was settled against him like a trusting partner, purring happily beside his ear. When had they welcomed him so fully into their lives? When had he decided he _wanted_ to be a part of their lives, so fully, so completely?

Shepard tilted her face up and smiled; she recognized Garrus's passively contemplative expression. "Whatcha thinkin' 'bout?" she mumbled, her chin on the councilor's hip.

Garrus smiled back and ran his hand absently across her shoulders to scratch lightly between her shoulder blades and she hummed her appreciation. "Just… this. Us…" He risked a glance at Sparatus and added. "All three of us."

Sparatus looked up from his study of the woman looking up at him and raised a brow. Us? When had he become included in "us"? _Is he thinking… no, no way… right?_ But Shepard derailed his thinking by turning onto her stomach, her breasts pressed against the tops of his thighs as she folded her arms over his stomach to support her chin.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean…" Garrus paused, brows furrowing for a moment and Sparatus could see his mind churning in an effort to articulate his thoughts. "What are we, all three of us? I know you and I are mated, Shepard, but… I can't be the only one to see that this isn't just a casual fuck anymore."

That made Shepard chuckle and Sparatus looked down at her. While Garrus didn't share his mate's silver tongue, he was right. What _did_ this make them? Yet she remained where she was, smiling up at them as if there were nothing to be worried about.

"I never said it was," she finally replied with a smirk, "But I get the feeling you're going somewhere with that thought?" She was completely relaxed, her eyes sparkling as she spoke.

"I…" Garrus sighed. "I know you don't know everything about turian culture, Shepard, but… well, it isn't unusual to have a permanent third party to a relationship." He frowned. "Damn, that sounded bad, didn't it…"

Sparatus chuckled and gave him a sympathetic look. "Maybe I can explain. While the mate commitment is practically unbreakable, it is understood that feelings change. Sometimes for a day, sometimes for a lifetime." He exhaled lightly and looked up at the ceiling. "My own mate returned to Palaven after it became clear we were no longer… compatible. She's found a new partner, but in the eyes of the law, we are still a bonded pair." He finally shrugged and looked back down to Shepard. "It would be different, but no less acceptable for a committed, bonded pair to take on a third partner for variety or…" He trailed off with another shrug. He didn't know what she would make of the situation—his or their present one—and chose instead to leave the statement where it lay. Let her put it together on her own, she wasn't stupid.

Shepard looked pensive for a moment, head tilting every-so-slightly to the side as the moment drew on. "She just… left? And found someone new?"

Sparatus almost laughed—almost—and shook his head. Of course she would latch onto _that_ rather than the implications of a third party on a partnership. "No, it was much more gradual. And mutually acknowledged as the best course of action." Well, _that_ didn't sound heartless. "I never stopped caring about her, but I realized someone else could make her happier than I."

Garrus looked between them, wondering if there was something he should say. What _could _he say? Damn, when had their pillow talk gotten so… depressing…

"It doesn't really seem fair that she got to go off and be happy," Shepard finally replied.

Sparatus looked down at her curiously. "I'm not unhappy."

"But are you _happy_?" she returned, shifting so she had one knee tucked under her. Now they were no longer looking down at her and she met Sparatus's gaze squarely, a silent challenge to answer her.

And he wanted to answer her, yet it made him think. Was he? Now, yes, but before… Alone… Could he say that letting Scylla return to Palaven had made him happy? Had his mistress made him happy? "Before… no," he finally said, "But now… Now, I can say I am. Happy, that is."

Garrus could see what Shepard had done; she had forced the councilor to see what they had both seen from the very first night: he was different now. Before, Shepard had ranted and screamed about him, his callous dismissals, his lack of concern or empathy, yet now… Now they had seen the man underneath, a man with feelings, and needs, and a personality that had surprised them both with wit and humor and tenderness. The man they could only assume had been lost with his mate. And they both liked the man they now knew. But… He traced the bondmark on Shepard's shoulder, a perfect fit to his own mouth, as he thought. Would she want that? He had thought he knew the answer, and yet… And yet, and yet, and yet… He seemed to be learning more and more about her.

"It can be more than casual," he finally said, not looking at either of them. The statement was greeted with silence and he finally looked to his mate. Her eyes had that faraway look she got when she was thinking carefully and he added, "If you wanted, Shepard."

Sparatus stared in wonderment at the man beside him; he hadn't expected the suggestion, yet it made him hopeful. It would be nice to have someone to care about, to be cared about by… Or two someones.

Shepard blinked and she was back with them. "What would that make us all?"

Garrus floundered; he had expected a refusal, or confusion, yet she had breezed past that and straight on to the logistics. One day, she would stop surprising him, yet he couldn't decide if he wanted that day to come or not. "I don't… I mean, I guess… I have no idea." He looked to Sparatus beseechingly and the councilor gave him a small smile of encouragement. Even he didn't know what it would mean, it seemed and Garrus sighed. "In a way, we'd all be mated to each other, if you wanted. We're already bonded, so it could be as simple as an equal, three-way partnership or as dynamically complicated as you wanted to make it. I don't know, it's not really something that gets talked about. No one asks, no one shares, it's all personal preference and—"

Shepard cut him off with a laugh and kissed his cheek. "I get it, don't worry." She looked back to Sparatus with a smile and flipped an errant section of her hair out of her face. "What do you think, Tiber?"

Oh, he liked his name on her lips… But he was surprised; he had expected her to scoff and say no, it was just casual. Who was he to them that they would open a place in their hearts to him? "I…" His words failed him and Shepard's smile widened as he coughed awkwardly before trying again, "Inviting you—both of you—here was probably the best decision I've made in a long time."

Shepard scooted closer, her hip settled snuggly between his thighs. "Is that a yes?"

Now the councilor looked to her mate, and Garrus smiled. "And what do you think of this?" he finally asked the young man.

Garrus laughed. "I suggested it, didn't I? And besides, if the Spirits weren't pushing us together, we wouldn't be here right now."

Sparatus couldn't help his smug smile. "Spoken like a true turian. Maybe you can be a good one after all."

Shepard sat back and propped her hands on her hips. "So, we're in agreement, then?"

The two men shared a quick glance before dragging her down and making space for her between them; hands slid over her skin and plated bodies pressed against her on either side as they nuzzled her cheeks, neck, and shoulders. A contented sigh escaped her as Garrus licked over the bondmark—his mark—and purred against her neck. And yet now it wasn't just one man, but two petting her and exploring; Sparatus nipped lightly at her shoulder before trailing his tongue up the line of her throat, his mandibles fluttering against her skin. Someone wrapped a possessive arm around her waist while another hand reached up to cradle her face and, oh fuck it. She gave up on trying to keep track of whose hands were where and let her head fall back against the pillows, taking one of their hands in each of hers. Five fingers entwined with three and she felt both rumble their approval on either side of her. Garrus bit down first, over the same spot on her left shoulder he had marked the first time and every time they had returned from beating the odds, just to reinforce their commitment in the face of death. She winced, but it was a feeling she had become so used to, the pain was gone before it had even reached her brain. Yet when Sparatus's teeth broke the skin on her right, she gasped; it was new and alien, yet sent a thrill of… something through her. Whether it was love or lust, she would never say, but she liked to think it was love.

Sparatus traced the spot on her shoulder he had marked so many weeks prior—it was almost completely faded now—with a sense of awe; the first time he had marked her, he reflected, he had never expected to be doing it again. And yet he was glad of it. As his teeth broke the skin, he was surprised by the coppery taste on his tongue; had it tasted that way the first time? He felt her tense, heard her gasp, and pulled back, running his tongue along the new mark.

Shepard looked between two of them with a small smile; she could feel her pulse in the bites on her shoulders, but it felt… nice. It felt good. "And what about you two?"

Garrus shrugged. "Same thing, normally, although, with your teeth…" She pretended to growl threateningly and he scoffed. "Yeah, about that." He hadn't expected her to tackle him, however, and when she did, she took him down easily. He growled playfully as she ducked her head down to his neck, biting and sucking at the sensitive skin. His hands found her hips, holding her against him as she chose a spot and worried her teeth there insistently and _Spirits_ that felt good. His growl dropped in pitch as she worked until finally, she broke the tough skin and pulled back with a triumphant smile as she licked a drop of blue blood from her lip.

Sparatus was trying to stifle his laughter when she turned her eyes toward him, mischief making them sparkle; he wasn't sure whose expression was funnier, Shepard's triumph or Garrus's surprise. And then she was on him, straddling his hips and pushing him back to lap and suck at his neck and he let her, lifting his chin invitingly as a low purr escaped him. Who was he to complain about being pinned under a strong, capable woman? No one, that's who! But he felt her pause and found her examining the left side of his neck and… Oh. Should he say something? He knew she was looking for his mate's mark, but it was years old and heavily healed over—he would be surprised if it was even visible any more—yet she just smiled and trailed her lips across his collar to the other side. Clever girl… Her lips found the juncture of his neck and shoulder and he wrapped one arm around her waist as she teased the spot. And he was more than happy to let her have her way with him. He groaned quietly as her blunt teeth bit into his skin; _especially_ if she was going to do that… He felt the sting as she broke the skin, felt the soft brush of her tongue against the bite, and then she was gone. His arms loosened and he looked up at her as she wiped the blood from her mouth on the back of her hand, looking like she had just won the jackpot.

"You look pleased with yourself," he purred, voice dropping in pitch and Garrus rumbled his agreement.

"I forgot you don't know the meaning of 'can't'," the younger male remarked dryly, earning an indignant huff from the woman still seated in Sparatus's lap.

"There's a difference between 'can't' and 'probably won't be able to'," she informed him with a grin. The marks on her shoulders had already stopped bleeding and looked a bit less painful as she stretched her arms up; her back cracked and she sighed, but Sparatus looked alarmed. "That's normal."

"Your spine is _supposed_ to make that noise?!" He looked shocked and she snorted as she climbed off of him to sit beside him, opposite Garrus.

"Sometimes. We're a bit more… flexible than turians," she added with a pointed look at Garrus and he groaned.

"Never gonna let me forget that, are you?"

"Never."

"Fine, fine…" Garrus rolled his eyes but smiled. "But I didn't forget this." He wrapped a hand around the back of the councilor's neck and pulled them together, ducking his head under the older man's chin. At first, Sparatus didn't react, giving Garrus enough time to trail light nips down his neck to the space just beside Shepard's mark, just inside his cowl. When he did finally move, it was only to slip his fingers up to the younger turians fringe and hold him there. The bite was quick, hard, and pleasantly familiar; he had missed being with someone of his own species as more than just a warm body, and had almost forgotten the feel of another turian's mark. Garrus was smirking just a little too proudly, though, when he pulled back and Sparatus quickly rolled them over. Shepard, luckily, avoided being caught up in the tumble and watched with unguarded fascination as the elder pinned the younger and growled against his throat, making him still. Oh, she could watch them for hours she was sure… Yet Sparatus's bite was as easy and quick as Garrus's and they separated to welcome her back between them. She inspected the result casually and she snuggled between them and scowled.

"Mine are so much smaller…" she grumbled, eyeing the two rather large bite marks on her shoulders, and Garrus rolled his eyes.

"You _are_ a puny human," he pointed out, wrapping his arms around her tightly so she couldn't turn and glare at him. But she did try and, when it proved fruitless, settled for sighing dramatically and laying her cheek against Sparatus's shoulder.

"That's _Commander_ Puny Human to you," she reminded him groggily, throwing one arm over Sparatus's middle and hooking her leg over his hip. Garrus chuckled and pressed against her back, planting a light kiss—as best he could—on the back of her shoulder.

"Good night, Commander Puny Human."

She mumbled something, but it was clear she was gone; soon her breathing grew even and her chest rose and fell steadily. An expression of absolute peace had come over her face and Sparatus could do nothing but watch for a moment. He was vaguely aware that Garrus had said good night to him as well and stammered some response, but his attention was elsewhere. A warm, pleasant feeling had started deep in his chest and, as he lay there, watching them both begin to drift, his mandibles twitched into a small smile.

For so long he had been alone, and even when he wasn't, he had never felt… cared for, or special. Yet now, in the quiet of his apartment, in his bed, he had two people, willing to sacrifice everything for what they cared about, and more than content to welcome him into their loving relationship. When he had invited them the first time, he had never imagined they would be here. When they had returned week after week, he had never expected them to return. When they had walked in today, he would never have known he would end up bonded to the both of them. But he was glad.


End file.
